Equipment diagnostic system and equipment diagnostic method

Abstract

Even when there are multiple causes for equipment malfunction, the system makes it easy for users to find advice on the causes they can address themselves. [Solution] The device diagnostic system 100 is characterized by comprising: an item diagnostic unit 103 that diagnoses whether or not there is an abnormality in each item from operational information related to multiple items sensed from the device; and a display control unit 104 that displays the diagnostic results for each of the multiple items of the device diagnosed by the item diagnostic unit 103 on a display unit in a way that allows identification of three or more levels of information: information indicating that the item is normal, information indicating that the item is abnormal, and information indicating that the problem can be resolved by the user themselves.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an equipment diagnosis system and an equipment diagnosis method.

Background Art

[0002] Home appliances may develop problems as the number of uses increases or as time passes. Therefore, a system has been proposed that presents operation information, diagnosis results, and advice for home appliance users. This enables home appliances to be troubleshooted by the users themselves. Additionally, by presenting diagnosis results and advice to appliance repair personnel, efficient repairs can be carried out. Patent Documents 1 and 2 relate to such technologies.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a network system comprising a home appliance, a server, and a communication terminal. The home appliance has a control unit for controlling the operating state, an information setting unit for setting information according to the current state of the control unit, and a transmission unit for transmitting the setting result of the information externally via a communication line. The communication terminal is described as an invention that displays specific advice according to a corresponding one of a plurality of data of the server corresponding to the transmission result of the information from the home appliance.

[0004] Patent Document 2 describes an invention of a maintenance support method executed by a communication terminal. Patent Document 2 includes a model information acquisition step of acquiring model information of an electrical appliance, a maintenance response step of displaying a maintenance response reception unit on an operation monitor screen that accepts a link to a maintenance support screen corresponding to the model of the electrical appliance recognized from the model information, and a maintenance support screen display step of displaying the maintenance support screen on the display unit in response to a reception request operation to the maintenance response reception unit.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

[0006] The invention described in Patent Document 1 is inconvenient to use because, when there are multiple causes of malfunction in home appliances, it is necessary to check each cause of the malfunction and the corresponding countermeasure one by one. The invention described in Patent Document 2 allows for an overall overview of the state of home appliances. However, the invention described in Patent Document 2 is also inconvenient to use because it requires maintenance workers to determine the malfunction. Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to enable users to easily check advice on causes they can address themselves, even when there are multiple causes of equipment malfunction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the aforementioned problems, the present invention provides a device diagnostic system comprising: an item diagnostic unit that diagnoses whether or not there is an abnormality in each item from operational information relating to a plurality of items sensed from the device; and a display control unit that displays the diagnostic results of each of the plurality of items of the device diagnosed by the item diagnostic unit on a display unit in a way that allows for identification of three or more levels: information indicating that the item is normal, information indicating that the item is abnormal, and information indicating that the problem can be solved by the user themselves.

[0008] The present invention provides a device diagnostic method comprising the steps of: an item diagnostic unit diagnosing whether or not there is an abnormality with respect to each of the multiple items sensed from the device; and a display control unit displaying the diagnostic results for each of the multiple items of the device diagnosed by the item diagnostic unit on a display unit in a manner that allows for the identification of three or more levels of information: information indicating that the item is normal, information indicating that the item is abnormal, and information indicating that the problem can be resolved by the user themselves. Other means will be described within the descriptions of embodiments for carrying out the invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, even when there are multiple causes of equipment malfunction, users can easily check for advice on the causes they can address themselves. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the configuration of the equipment diagnostic system in this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a diagram showing the physical configuration of the server. [Figure 3] This is a physical configuration diagram of the service terminal. [Figure 4] This is a logical configuration diagram of the server. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart of the equipment diagnostic process. [Figure 6] This is a diagram showing the fault diagnosis screen. [Figure 7] This is a diagram showing the device information screen. [Figure 8] This is a diagram showing the troubleshooting screen for a washing machine. [Figure 9] This figure shows a table of each evaluation item. [Figure 10A] This is a diagram showing the appliance health checkup screen for a washing machine. [Figure 10B] This is a diagram showing the appliance health checkup screen for a washing machine. [Figure 11] This diagram shows the summary screen of the refrigerator diagnostic results. [Figure 12] This is a diagram showing the refrigerator cause index screen. [Figure 13] This is a diagram showing the refrigerator door open / close information screen. [Figure 14] This is a diagram showing the refrigerator's cooling information analysis screen. [Figure 15] This is a diagram showing the refrigerator's past data diagnostic screen. [Figure 16] This is a diagram showing the appliance health checkup screen for a refrigerator. [Figure 17]It is a diagram showing a home appliance health diagnosis record screen displayed on a user terminal.

Embodiment for Implementing the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments for implementing the present invention will be described in detail with reference to each figure. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a device diagnosis system 100 in the present embodiment. The device diagnosis system 100 is configured such that a server 1, a washing machine 2, a refrigerator 3, a service terminal 4a, and a user terminal 4b are communicably connected via a network 9. The server 1 periodically communicates with the washing machine 2 and the refrigerator 3 to acquire and store the operation information sensed during the operation of these devices. The server 1 further diagnoses the state of each device based on various information sensed by each device.

[0012] The service terminal 4a and the user terminal 4b access the server 1 to display a health diagnosis record screen of the washing machine 2 or the refrigerator 3.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a physical configuration diagram of the server 1. The server 1 includes hardware such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a storage unit 14, a communication unit 15, an input unit 16, and a display unit 17. <着

[0014] The CPU 11 is a central processing unit that overall controls the server 1, and implements each functional unit by executing a program stored in the storage unit 14 described later. The ROM 12 is a non-volatile readable memory, and records, for example, a BIOS (Basic I / O System). The RAM 13 is a volatile readable and writable memory, and is used as a temporary storage area for programs by the CPU 11.

[0015] The storage unit 14 is, for example, an SSD (Solid State Drive) and stores programs and various data. The communication unit 15 is, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card) and sends and receives information with other devices via the internet. The input unit 16 is, for example, a keyboard, mouse, or touch panel and is used for inputting information. The display unit 17 is, for example, a liquid crystal display and displays images, graphics, characters, etc.

[0016] Figure 3 is a physical configuration diagram of service terminal 4a. The service terminal 4a is composed of hardware including a CPU 41, ROM 42, RAM 43, storage unit 44, communication unit 45, input unit 46, display unit 47, and so on.

[0017] The CPU 41 is a central processing unit that provides overall control over the service terminal 4a, and it implements each functional unit by executing programs stored in the memory unit 44, which will be described later. ROM42 is non-volatile readable memory that stores things like the BIOS (Basic I / O System). RAM43 is volatile read / write memory that is used by the CPU41 as temporary storage for programs.

[0018] The storage unit 44 is, for example, an SSD (Solid State Drive) and stores programs and various data. The communication unit 45 is, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card) and sends and receives information with other devices via the internet. The input unit 46 is, for example, a keyboard, mouse, or touch panel and is used for inputting information. The display unit 47 is, for example, a liquid crystal display and displays images, graphics, characters, etc. The user terminal 4b is configured in the same way as this service terminal 4a.

[0019] Figure 4 is a logical configuration diagram of Server 1. Server 1 is configured to include an operational information database 101, an operational information collection unit 102, an item diagnosis unit 103, a display control unit 104, an overall diagnosis unit 105, and a file generation unit 106. Server 1 is further configured to include an advice database 107 and a comment database 108.

[0020] The operation information database 101 is a database that stores operation information sensed when the washing machine 2 and refrigerator 3 are in operation. The operation information collection unit 102 collects operation information sensed when these devices are in operation by periodically communicating with the washing machine 2 and refrigerator 3, and stores it in the operation information database 101.

[0021] The item diagnosis unit 103 diagnoses whether or not there is an abnormality for each item based on the operational information for multiple items sensed from the equipment. The operational information for multiple items sensed from the equipment is stored in the operational information database 101.

[0022] The comprehensive diagnostic unit 105 determines the overall diagnostic result for the device to be abnormal if any of the diagnostic results for multiple items of the device diagnosed by the item diagnostic unit 103 are abnormal. Conversely, if none of the diagnostic results for multiple items of the device are abnormal, the comprehensive diagnostic unit 105 determines the overall diagnostic result for the device to be normal.

[0023] The display control unit 104 displays the diagnostic results for multiple items of the equipment diagnosed by the item diagnostic unit 103 and the overall diagnostic results for the equipment diagnosed by the overall diagnostic unit 105 on the display unit of the service terminal 4a or user terminal 4b. The display control unit 104 displays the diagnostic results for each of the multiple items related to the equipment diagnosed by the item diagnostic unit 103 on the display unit in a way that allows for identification of three or more levels of information: information indicating that the item is normal, information indicating that the item is abnormal, and information indicating that the problem can be resolved by the user themselves. This makes it easy for the user to check for advice on causes that they can address themselves, even if there are multiple causes of equipment malfunction. The display control unit 104 may, but is not limited to, display the diagnostic results for each of the multiple items related to the equipment on the display unit in a way that allows for identification of four or more levels, including the three levels mentioned above.

[0024] The file generation unit 106 generates a file that summarizes the information displayed on the display unit of the service terminal 4a or user terminal 4b by the display control unit 104. At this time, the display control unit 104 displays a two-dimensional barcode on the display unit of the service terminal 4a or user terminal 4b that allows the file compiled by the file generation unit 106 to be downloaded, or a link to display this two-dimensional barcode.

[0025] The Advice Database 107 is a database used to advise workers and customers on countermeasures for abnormalities in each item, based on operational information. Comment Database 108 is a database for diagnosing comments on the status of each item based on operational information.

[0026] Figure 5 is a flowchart of the equipment diagnostic process. This equipment diagnostic process is performed in batches on Server 1, for example, during the night. As a result, Server 1 creates the home appliance health check report screens shown in Figures 10A and 16 for the technicians, the home appliance health check report screen shown in Figure 17 for the customer, and the fault diagnosis system screens shown in Figures 8, 9, and 11 through 15.

[0027] 《Diagnostic processes common to the above screens》 The item diagnosis unit 103 diagnoses whether there are any abnormalities for each item based on the operational information for multiple items sensed from the equipment (step S10). Then, the item diagnosis unit 103 refers to the advice database 107 and generates advice according to the operational information for each item (step S11).

[0028] The integrated diagnostic unit 105 diagnoses whether any of the diagnostic results for multiple items of this device are abnormal (step S12). If any of the diagnostic results for multiple items of this device are abnormal (Yes), the integrated diagnostic unit 105 determines that the overall diagnostic result of this device is abnormal (step S14), and the process proceeds to step S15. If the diagnostic results for multiple items of this device are all normal (No), the comprehensive diagnostic unit 105 determines that the overall diagnostic result of this device is normal (step S13), and the process proceeds to step S15.

[0029] 《Process for creating screens for the fault diagnosis system》 In step S15, the display control unit 104 includes operational information for each item and operational information of other users, divided into basic performance and short-term load, in the HTML (Hyper-Text Markup Language) data of the screen to be displayed on the requested terminal. In step S16, the display control unit 104 includes each diagnostic result, the overall diagnostic result, advice, and confirmation items for the operator in the HTML data of the screen.

[0030] [Process for creating the home appliance health checkup chart screens shown in Figures 10A and 16, which are viewed by workers] In step S17, the display control unit 104 includes a two-dimensional barcode for downloading a file in the HTML data of the screen. This two-dimensional barcode is for display on the service terminal 4a that the worker will see.

[0031] [Process for creating the home appliance health checkup chart screen shown to the customer (Figure 17)] In step S18, the display control unit 104 includes a repair request icon in the HTML data of the screen, and the process shown in Figure 5 is completed. This repair request icon is intended to be displayed on the user terminal 4b viewed by the customer.

[0032] [Screenshot of the fault diagnosis system] Figure 6 shows the fault diagnosis screen 51. The fault diagnosis screen 51 is displayed on the service terminal 4a of the technician and is not generally seen by the customer. The fault diagnosis screen 51 has the title "Fault Diagnosis System" at the top. Below that, the product type 511 displays radio buttons for washing machine and refrigerator. Further below that, there is a combo box 512 for selecting the model, a text box 513 for entering the product number, and an execute button 514. When this execute button 514 is clicked, the system transitions to the main unit information screen 52 shown in Figure 7.

[0033] Figure 7 shows the main unit information screen 52. Here, we will explain assuming that the washing machine radio button is selected in Figure 6. The main unit information screen 52 is displayed on the service terminal 4a of the technician and is not something the customer will see.

[0034] At the top of the main unit information screen 52, the following buttons are displayed as menu buttons: the main unit information button 521, the item-specific diagnosis button 522, the home appliance health check report button 523, and the repair response report button 524. Below the main unit information screen 52, the main unit information table 525 is displayed.

[0035] When the main unit information button 521 is clicked, the main unit information table 525, which shows the main unit information of the target device, the washing machine, is displayed. When the item-specific diagnosis button 522 is clicked, the fault diagnosis screen 53 shown in Figure 8 is displayed, which diagnoses the operating information of the target device, the washing machine, item by item. When the Home Appliance Health Check Chart button 523 is clicked, the Home Appliance Health Check Chart screen 54, which shows the diagnosis of the target device, the washing machine, is displayed. When the repair request report button 524 is clicked, a service technician questionnaire screen (not shown) is displayed. The information entered on this questionnaire screen is sent to a service response server (not shown).

[0036] 《Diagnosis of Washing Machines》 Figure 8 shows the washing machine's fault diagnosis screen 53. The fault diagnosis screen 53 is displayed on the service terminal 4a of the technician and is not something the customer will see. This troubleshooting screen 53 includes and displays the following tabs: spin-drying vibration tab 531, drying performance tab 532, water supply performance tab 533, drainage performance tab 534, washing performance tab 535, and drum cleaning tab 536. The spin-drying vibration tab 531, drying performance tab 532, water supply performance tab 533, drainage performance tab 534, washing performance tab 535, and drum cleaning tab 536 are tabs that show the operating information of the washing machine, and the meaning of what is displayed on each of these tabs remains the same even if the washing machine model changes. For new models, this screen can be updated by uploading data corresponding to the new model.

[0037] In this fault diagnosis screen 53, the dehydration vibration tab 531 is selected, and a table 537 is displayed showing each judgment item and standard value related to dehydration vibration, as well as operational information related to the judgment item. Table 537 displays the items related to dehydration vibration from the operational information, and if there are any abnormal values ​​among these items, those abnormal values ​​are highlighted.

[0038] The fault diagnosis screen 53 also displays a "Customer Advice" text box 538, a service engineer confirmation item text box 539, and a memo text box 530.

[0039] The "Customer Advice" text box 538 displays the following advice for the customer: "The amount of fabric is small, which may cause excessive vibration," and "The vibration may be increased due to the smooth mode." This advice is extracted by the item diagnostic unit 103 from the advice database 107 based on the table 537 related to dehydration vibration, and provides countermeasures for the abnormality.

[0040] The service engineer confirmation text box 539 displays "Check the damper" as a confirmation item for the worker regarding the advice. The memo text box 530 is for workers to enter notes. Here, the note entered by the worker, "Repair work has been completed," is displayed.

[0041] The fault diagnosis screen 53 displays a "Customer Advice" text box 538 and a service engineer confirmation text box 539, which contains items for the worker to confirm regarding the advice. This allows the user to streamline maintenance.

[0042] When the Drying Performance tab 532 is selected, items related to drying performance from the operating information are displayed, and if there are any abnormal values ​​among these items, those abnormal values ​​are highlighted. Then, advice to the user regarding the abnormal values ​​is displayed in the "Advice to Customer" text box 538. Finally, items that the worker needs to confirm regarding the advice are displayed in the Service Engineer Confirmation Items text box 539.

[0043] When the Water Supply Performance tab 533 is selected, items related to water supply performance from the operational information are displayed, and if there are any abnormal values ​​among these items, those abnormal values ​​are highlighted. Then, advice to the user regarding the abnormal values ​​is displayed in the "Advice to Customers" text box 538. Finally, items that the worker needs to confirm regarding the advice are displayed in the Service Engineer Confirmation Items text box 539.

[0044] When the Drainage Performance tab 534 is selected, the items related to drainage performance from the operational information are displayed, and if there are any abnormal values ​​among these items, those abnormal values ​​are highlighted. Then, advice to the user regarding the abnormal values ​​is displayed in the "Advice to Customer" text box 538. Finally, the items that the worker needs to confirm regarding the advice are displayed in the Service Engineer Confirmation Items text box 539.

[0045] When the cleaning performance tab 535 is selected, the cleaning performance-related items from the operational information are displayed, and any abnormal values ​​among these items are highlighted. Then, advice to the user regarding the abnormal values ​​is displayed in the "Advice to Customers" text box 538. Finally, items for the operator to confirm regarding the advice are displayed in the service engineer confirmation items text box 539.

[0046] When the Tank Cleaning tab 536 is selected, the items related to tank cleaning from the operational information are displayed, and if there are any abnormal values ​​among these items, those abnormal values ​​are highlighted. Then, advice to the user regarding the abnormal values ​​is displayed in the "Advice to Customer" text box 538. Finally, the items that the operator needs to confirm regarding the advice are displayed in the Service Engineer Confirmation Items text box 539.

[0047] Furthermore, the display control unit 104 displays operational information on the same screen and highlights abnormal values ​​using color, font size, and boldness. The display control unit 104 also displays advice to the user regarding these abnormal values ​​and points for the operator to confirm regarding the advice on the same screen.

[0048] Figure 9 shows Table 537 for each judgment item. Table 537 consists of a judgment item column, a reference value column, a latest column, and columns from 1st to 7th time ago. Furthermore, Table 537 consists of an execution course row, a fabric quantity row, a dehydration start mode setting row, a hot dehydration rotation speed setting row, and a dehydration level setting row.

[0049] Figures 10A and 10B show the washing machine appliance health checkup screen 54. The home appliance health check report screen 54 is displayed on the service terminal 4a of the worker shown in Figure 3. This home appliance health check report screen 54 includes an overall assessment field 541, a diagnostic results field for each item 542, a recent operation results field 543, a one-point advice field 544, and a home appliance health check report handover button 545.

[0050] The overall assessment column 541 displays the overall diagnostic result based on the diagnostic results of multiple items. If even one of the diagnostic results for multiple items is abnormal, the overall diagnostic result is considered abnormal. If there are no abnormalities in any of the diagnostic results for multiple items, and only advice and normal results are shown, the overall diagnostic result is considered normal. The overall assessment column 541 allows workers to easily determine the need for maintenance on home appliances.

[0051] Furthermore, by displaying "Normal" in the overall rating, we can alleviate the concerns of customers who mistakenly believe their washing machine is broken.

[0052] The item-specific diagnostic results section 542 displays the diagnostic results for each item. Here, the diagnostic results for dewatering vibration, drying performance, water supply performance, drainage performance, washing performance, and tub cleaning are displayed. For the dewatering vibration and drainage performance items, an advice icon is displayed. For drying performance, an abnormal icon with a face mark is displayed. For water supply performance, washing performance, and tub cleaning, a normal icon with a face mark is displayed. In Figure 10A, the diagnostic result for the dewatering vibration item is "Advice". The diagnostic result for the drying performance item is "Abnormal". The diagnostic result for the water supply performance item is "Normal". The diagnostic result for the drainage performance item is "Advice". The diagnostic result for the washing performance item is "Normal". The diagnostic result for the tub cleaning item is "Normal". And the overall judgment result is "Abnormal".

[0053] The Recent Driving Results section 543 displays the most recent driving results in a table format. Figure 10B shows a detailed view of the Recent Driving Results section 543. This section includes a history column, a driving course column, a setting time column for each process, a column for the course actually driven, a clothing quantity column, a notification display column, and a special notes column. Each row contains information about the most recent, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th previous driving sessions. Courses with advice or abnormalities are highlighted. Notifications are highlighted. Special notes are also highlighted.

[0054] If the customer turns off the power using the ON / OFF button, or if the power is turned off due to an error, the status "Interrupted Off" will be displayed in the special notes field. Previously, it was impossible to tell if the power had cut off mid-cycle, requiring service technicians to run the washing machine at the customer's home and wait for it to shut off unexpectedly. Furthermore, because the issue was potentially difficult to reproduce, it was challenging for customers to prove or communicate to service technicians that the machine had stopped mid-cycle. However, by displaying "Mid-cycle shut-off" in the recent operation results section (543), service technicians can easily identify that the machine stopped due to a malfunction, shortening the time required to address the problem.

[0055] One-Point Advice 544 displays a string of advice based on the operating status of the equipment. In this case, based on vibration during the spin cycle, advice is displayed on how to select a method to avoid this vibration. If both spin cycle vibration and draining time are indicated as advice for the washing machine, both pieces of advice will be displayed in One-Point Advice 544. By displaying the presence or absence of equipment abnormalities as a diagnostic result and the details of the advice corresponding to the diagnosis on the same screen, technicians can streamline equipment maintenance.

[0056] The Home Appliance Health Check Report Button 545 is a screen that displays a two-dimensional barcode for downloading the Home Appliance Health Check Report screen 54 as a file. When the user clicks the Home Appliance Health Check Report Button 545, the display control unit 104 displays a two-dimensional barcode that allows the user to download the diagnostic results displayed on the screen. Alternatively, a link to display the two-dimensional barcode is displayed. This allows workers to perform home appliance maintenance more efficiently.

[0057] The device diagnostic system 100 displays the diagnostic results for multiple items on a single home appliance health check report screen 54. These diagnostic results include stages of normal, abnormal, and advice. Here, "advice" indicates a situation that is not actually a malfunction of the home appliance, but rather something that can be resolved with user intervention. The technician then uses this advice information to advise the customer on how to resolve the issue.

[0058] Diagnosis of the refrigerator Figure 11 shows the summary screen 61 of the refrigerator diagnostic results. The summary screen 61 of the refrigerator diagnostic results is displayed on the service terminal 4a of the technician and is not generally seen by the customer. This overview screen 61 displays the diagnostic results from July 4, 2023. The overall judgment column shows "Increased Load".

[0059] The judgment comment column states, "The load required to cool the refrigerator has increased in the short term. Continued monitoring is necessary. Please check for foreign objects caught between the main body and the door." Further below, the basis for the judgment is displayed, "[• On the diagnostic target date (7 / 4), the cooling load level rose to 100%.]" and "[• On the diagnostic target date (7 / 4), the short-term load has risen above the warning line of 40%.]" The information displayed in this judgment comment column is a comment extracted based on each item in the operational information database 101 and the comment database 108.

[0060] The detailed column of the diagnostic results displays the cooling state analysis, causal index, temperature information, door opening / closing information, and diagnostic results for the past month. Here, the overall assessment result determined based on each diagnostic result is displayed.

[0061] Figure 12 shows the refrigerator cause index screen 62. The refrigerator cause index screen 62 is displayed on the service terminal 4a of the worker and is not something the customer will see. The causal index screen 62 consists of a graph pane 621 and a table pane 622. The graph pane 621 displays a time-series graph of the causal index, with a balloon 623 displayed above it. The balloon 623 points to a section where the graph line is rising sharply and displays the comment, "On the diagnostic target date (7 / 4), the index for ... has risen above 50% of the warning line." This allows the equipment diagnostic system 100 to notify workers and customers of any concerning changes in the causal index.

[0062] Table pane 622 displays a table of causal indices. The table of causal indices lists product-related indices and usage-related indices separately. Rectangular display 624 highlights outliers in this item.

[0063] Figure 13 shows the refrigerator door open / close information screen 63. The refrigerator door open / close information screen 63 is displayed on the service terminal 4a of the worker and is not generally seen by the customer. This door opening / closing information screen 63 consists of a graph pane 631 and a table pane 632.

[0064] Graph pane 631 displays a time-series graph where bars represent the amount of time the refrigerator door was open, and a line represents the number of times the refrigerator door was opened. Table pane 632 displays, for each day, the time and number of times all room doors were open, the time and number of times the refrigerator door was open, the time and number of times the ice maker door was open, the time and number of times the freezer door was open, and the time and number of times the vegetable compartment door was open.

[0065] Figure 14 shows the refrigerator cooling information analysis screen 64. The refrigerator cooling information analysis screen 64 is displayed on the worker's service terminal 4a and is not generally seen by the customer. This cooling information analysis screen 64 consists of a graph pane 641 and a table pane 642. The graph pane 641 displays time-series bar graphs of the short-term load index and the basic performance index, with a balloon 643 displayed above it. The balloon 643 points to a point in the graph where the short-term load is rapidly increasing and displays the comment, "On the diagnostic target date (7 / 4), the index for ... has risen above 100%." ​​This allows the equipment diagnostic system 100 to notify workers and customers of noteworthy changes in the short-term load index and the basic performance index.

[0066] Short-term load refers to the daily variability in refrigerator operating data, including variability stemming from customer usage. By comparing short-term load with basic performance separately, technicians and customers can appropriately evaluate the performance of home appliances.

[0067] Table pane 642 displays items related to the cooling load for each day. Rectangular display 644 highlights any outliers among these items. This allows the refrigerator cooling information analysis screen 64 to display the refrigerator's operating data.

[0068] The cooling information analysis screen 64 can also display comparisons with operating data from other users of the same refrigerator model, as well as operating data from other users with similar family structures. This makes it easy to determine whether the cause of an abnormal value is due to the user's usage or the equipment itself, thus streamlining maintenance by technicians.

[0069] Figure 15 shows the refrigerator's past data diagnostic screen 65. The refrigerator's past data diagnostic screen 65 is displayed on the service terminal 4a of the technician and is not something the customer will see. The historical data diagnostic screen 65 displays different items in the columns and is arranged in reverse order from the most recent date in the rows. The columns in the historical data diagnostic screen 65 display the overall judgment, cooling load, temperature, and cause index. The cause index is broadly divided into two categories: usage-related and product-related.

[0070] The overall assessment displays the complete result of whether the refrigerator is functioning correctly or not. The cooling load is divided into three categories: Factor 1: the main unit, Factor 2: door opening, and Factor 3: load. The temperature is divided into four categories: the refrigerator compartment, the ice maker compartment, the freezer compartment, and the vegetable compartment.

[0071] Among the causal indices, the product-related indices are listed, which are those caused by the refrigerator itself. Among the causal indices, the usage-related indices list indices that are caused by how the user uses the system.

[0072] Figure 16 shows the refrigerator appliance health checkup chart screen 68. The home appliance health check report screen 68 is displayed on the worker's service terminal 4a as shown in Figure 3. This home appliance health check report screen 68 includes an overall judgment field 681, a judgment comment field 680, a diagnostic result field for each item 682, temperature information 683, and a home appliance health check report handover button 684.

[0073] The overall judgment column 681 displays the overall diagnostic result based on the diagnostic results of multiple items. Here, the overall judgment is displayed as "Abnormal." In the item-specific diagnostic results column 682, the product diagnostic item is displayed as "Abnormal." The ice-making diagnostic item is displayed as "Normal." The cold air flow item is displayed as "Normal." The door opening / closing count item is displayed as "Normal." The door gap item is displayed as "Advice." If even one abnormality is found in the diagnostic results of multiple items in the item-specific diagnostic results column 682, the overall diagnostic result is considered abnormal. If there are no abnormalities in the diagnostic results of multiple items, and only advice and normal are found, the overall diagnostic result is considered normal. The overall judgment column 681 allows workers and customers to easily determine the need for maintenance of home appliances.

[0074] Furthermore, by displaying "Normal" in the overall evaluation, we can alleviate the concerns of customers who mistakenly believe their refrigerator is broken.

[0075] The judgment comment section 680 displays comments made by the comprehensive diagnosis unit 105 in conjunction with the overall diagnosis result. Here it says, "Currently, it is normal. On [date], the load for cooling the refrigerator increased for a short period. The main door..."

[0076] The item-specific diagnostic results section 682 displays the diagnostic results for each item. This section displays the diagnostic results for the refrigerator itself, ice making, cold airflow related to usage, door opening / closing frequency, and door gap. For the product diagnostic items, an abnormal face icon is displayed. For the ice making diagnostic, cold airflow, and door opening / closing frequency, a normal face icon is displayed. For the door gap, an advice icon is displayed.

[0077] The temperature information system 683 displays the internal temperature and diagnostic results for each compartment of the refrigerator. This allows technicians to perform maintenance more efficiently. Temperature is a common indicator that clearly shows whether the refrigerator is functioning properly. This allows technicians to show customers whether the refrigerator is working correctly.

[0078] The device diagnostic system 100 displays the diagnostic results for multiple items on a single home appliance health check report screen 68. These diagnostic results include stages of normal, abnormal, and advice. Here, "advice" indicates a situation that is not actually a malfunction of the home appliance, but rather a problem that can be resolved with user intervention. The technician then uses this advice information to advise the customer on how to resolve the issue.

[0079] Figure 17 shows the home appliance health checkup chart screen 71 displayed on the user terminal 4b. The home appliance health check report screen 71 is displayed, for example, on the display unit of the user terminal 4b in Figure 1. The home appliance health check report screen 71 includes an overall judgment field 711, a diagnostic result field for each item 712, a judgment comment field 713, and a repair request button 714. In this system, the home appliance health check report can also be viewed from the user terminal 4b.

[0080] The overall judgment column 711 displays the overall diagnostic result based on the diagnostic results of multiple items, similar to the overall judgment column 681 in Figure 16. The item-specific diagnostic result column 712 displays the diagnostic results for each item, similar to the item-specific diagnostic result column 682 in Figure 16. The product diagnostic item displays "Normal". The ice-making diagnostic item displays "Normal". The cold air flow item displays "Normal". The door opening / closing count item displays "Normal". The door gap item displays "Advice". The judgment comment field 713, like the judgment comment field 680 in Figure 16, displays comments determined in accordance with the overall diagnostic result. Here, the judgment comment field 713 displays, "There are no abnormalities. If you are concerned, please request repairs."

[0081] The repair request button 714 is used to request repairs for this refrigerator from the service center. By clicking this repair request button 714, the user submits a repair request to the service center and also sends diagnostic data to the service center.

[0082] The structure and effects of the present invention are described below.

[0083] [1] The item diagnosis unit (103) diagnoses whether there are any abnormalities in each item based on operational information for multiple items sensed from the equipment, A display control unit (104) causes the item diagnostic unit (103) to diagnose the diagnostic results of each of the multiple items of the equipment, and to display the results on the display unit in a way that allows for identification of three or more levels: information indicating that the item is normal, information indicating that the item is abnormal, and information indicating that the problem can be resolved by the user themselves. A device diagnostic system (100) characterized by comprising the following:

[0084] This makes it easy for users to find advice on the cause of a malfunction that they can address themselves, even if there are multiple possible causes for the equipment malfunction.

[0085] [2] The system further includes a comprehensive diagnostic unit (105) which, if an abnormality is found in any of the diagnostic results of multiple items of the equipment diagnosed by the item diagnostic unit (103), sets the overall diagnostic result for the equipment to abnormal, and if there are no abnormalities in any of the diagnostic results of multiple items of the equipment, sets the overall diagnostic result for the equipment to normal. The display control unit (104) displays the diagnostic results of multiple items of the equipment diagnosed by the item diagnostic unit (103) and the overall diagnostic results of the equipment diagnosed by the overall diagnostic unit (105) on the display unit. A device diagnostic system (100) characterized by comprising the following:

[0086] This allows technicians and customers to easily determine the overall maintenance needs of home appliances. Furthermore, by displaying "normal" in the overall evaluation for customers who mistakenly believed their appliances were broken, their concerns can be alleviated.

[0087] [3] The item diagnostic unit (103) further outputs advice corresponding to the diagnostic results for the multiple items sensed from the device. The display control unit (104) displays any abnormality among the diagnostic results of the multiple items, and advice corresponding to the diagnostic results, on the same screen. The equipment diagnostic system (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that it is the same as described in claim 1.

[0088] This allows workers to perform maintenance more efficiently.

[0089] [4] The display control unit (104) further comprises a file generation unit (106) that generates a file containing the information displayed on the display unit, The display control unit (104) causes the display unit to display a two-dimensional barcode on which the file compiled by the file generation unit (106) can be downloaded, or a link to display the two-dimensional barcode. The equipment diagnostic system (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that it is the same as described in claim 1.

[0090] This allows workers to perform maintenance more efficiently.

[0091] [5] The display control unit (104) causes the display unit to display a message indicating that the power to the device was turned off while the device was in operation, if the power to the device was turned off while the device was in operation. The equipment diagnostic system (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that it is the same as described in claim 1.

[0092] Previously, it was impossible to know if a device had been shut off mid-operation. Service technicians had to operate the device at the customer's home and wait for it to shut off mid-operation. Furthermore, because the issue was potentially difficult to reproduce, it was hard for customers to prove or communicate to the service technician that the device had stopped mid-operation. This new system allows service technicians to easily identify malfunctions and shortens the time required to resolve problems.

[0093] [6] The aforementioned device is a refrigerator (3), The display control unit (104) displays the internal temperature of each compartment of the refrigerator (3) and the diagnostic result. The equipment diagnostic system (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that it is the same as described in claim 1.

[0094] This allows workers to streamline maintenance. By displaying both the internal temperature and diagnostic results, the display control unit provides a shared indicator between the service worker and the customer, ensuring a common understanding of whether the refrigerator is functioning correctly.

[0095] [7] The display control unit (104) displays advice corresponding to the diagnostic result and the operator's confirmation items related to the advice on the same screen. The equipment diagnostic system (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that it is the same as described in claim 1.

[0096] This allows workers to perform maintenance more efficiently.

[0097] [8] The display control unit (104) further displays abnormal and normal values ​​of the operating information for each item of the equipment on the same screen, and displays advice to the user regarding the abnormal value and confirmation items for the operator regarding the advice on the same screen. The equipment diagnostic system (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that it is the same as described in claim 1.

[0098] This allows workers to perform maintenance more efficiently.

[0099] [9] The display control unit (104) displays predetermined tabs that are independent of the model of the device, and when each predetermined tab is selected, it displays the judgment items corresponding to the selected predetermined tab. The equipment diagnostic system (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that it is the same as described in claim 1.

[0100] This allows workers to streamline maintenance. For new models, support can be provided on this screen by uploading data compatible with the new model.

[0101]

[10] The display control unit (104) displays the operating information of the equipment and displays it together with the operating information of equipment used by other users of the same model as the equipment. The equipment diagnostic system (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that it is the same as described in claim 1.

[0102] This allows workers to perform maintenance more efficiently.

[0103]

[11] The display control unit (104) displays the operating information for each item of the equipment separately for basic performance and short-term load. The equipment diagnostic system (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that it is the same as described in claim 1.

[0104] This allows customers to make fair comparisons when evaluating the performance of home appliances.

[0105]

[12] The display control unit (104) displays the overall diagnostic result and a repair request icon on the display unit of the user terminal (4b). The equipment diagnostic system (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that it is the same as described in claim 2.

[0106] This allows workers to perform maintenance more efficiently.

[0107]

[13] The item diagnosis unit (103) diagnoses whether there is an abnormality for each item based on operational information for multiple items sensed from the equipment. The comprehensive diagnostic unit (105) determines the comprehensive diagnostic result for the equipment to be abnormal if there is an abnormality in any of the diagnostic results for the multiple items diagnosed by the item diagnostic unit (103), and determines the comprehensive diagnostic result for the equipment to be normal if there is no abnormality in any of the diagnostic results for the multiple items. The display control unit (104) causes the display unit to display the diagnostic results of the multiple items diagnosed by the item diagnostic unit (103) and the overall diagnostic result diagnosed by the overall diagnostic unit (105), A diagnostic device method characterized by comprising the following features.

[0108] This makes it easy for users to find advice on the cause of a malfunction that they can address themselves, even if there are multiple possible causes for the equipment malfunction.

[0109] Variant form The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are included. For example, the embodiments described above are described in detail to make the present invention easier to understand, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. It is possible to replace parts of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add configurations from other embodiments to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace parts of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations.

[0110] Each of the above configurations, functions, processing units, and processing means may be implemented in part or in whole by hardware, such as an integrated circuit. Each of the above configurations and functions may also be implemented in software by a processor interpreting and executing a program that implements each function. Information such as programs, tables, and files that implement each function can be stored in a recording device such as memory, a hard disk, or an SSD (Solid State Drive), or on a recording medium such as a flash memory card or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk).

[0111] In each embodiment, the control lines and information lines shown are those deemed necessary for explanation and do not necessarily represent all control lines and information lines in the actual product. In practice, it can be assumed that almost all components are interconnected. Examples of modified versions of the present invention include the following (a) to (c).

[0112] (a) The equipment covered is not limited to washing machines and refrigerators, but may be any equipment. (b) The method for outputting comments and advice from operational information is not limited to a rule-based method that references a database. For example, a machine learning model may be trained using a combination of operational information databases and comments and advice assigned to the operational information as training data. The trained machine learning model may then be configured to output comments and advice from new operational information. (c) The equipment diagnostic system has an item diagnostic unit, a comprehensive diagnostic unit, and a display control unit implemented on a server. However, it is not limited to this, and washing machines and refrigerators may be connected to a service terminal via peer-to-peer communication, with the item diagnostic unit, comprehensive diagnostic unit, and display control unit implemented on the service terminal. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 100 Equipment Diagnostic System 1 server 2. Washing machine 3. Refrigerator 4a Service terminal 4b User terminal 11 CPU 12 ROM 13 RAM 14 Storage section 15 Communications Department 16 Input section 17 Display section 41 CPU 42 ROM 43 RAM 44 Storage section 45 Communications Department 46 Input section 47 Display section 101 Operation Information Database 102 Operational Information Collection Department 103-item diagnostic department 104 Display Control Unit 105 General Diagnostics Department 106 File Generation Section 51 Troubleshooting screen 511 Product Types 512 Combo Box 513 Text box 514 Execute button 52 Main unit information screen 521 Main unit information button 522 Item-Specific Diagnosis Buttons 523 Home Appliance Health Checkup Chart Button 524 Repair Service Report 525 Main Unit Information Table 53 Troubleshooting screen 54 Home Appliance Health Checkup Chart Screen 531 Dehydration Vibration Tab 532 Drying performance tab 533 Water supply performance tab 534 Drainage Performance Tab 535 Cleaning performance tab 536 Tank cleaning tub 537 Table 538 "Advice for Customers" text box 539 Service Engineer Confirmation Items Text Box 530 Memo text box 541 Overall Judgment Section 542 Itemized Diagnostic Results Section 543 Recent Driving Results Section 544 One-Point Advice 545 Home Appliance Health Checkup Report Card Button 61 Overview screen 62 Cause index screen 621 Graph Pane 622 Table pane 623 Balloons 624 Rectangular display 63 Door Open / Close Information Screen 631 Graph Pane 632 Table pane 64 Cooling information analysis screen 641 Graph Pane 642 Table pane 643 Balloons 644 Rectangular display 65 Past Data Diagnosis Screen 68 Home Appliance Health Checkup Chart Screen 681 Overall Judgment Section 680 Judgment Comments Section 682 Itemized Diagnostic Results Section 683 Temperature information 684 Home Appliance Health Checkup Record Handover Button 71 Home Appliance Health Checkup Chart Screen 711 Overall Judgment Section 712 Itemized Diagnostic Results Section 713 Judgment Comments Section 714 Repair Request Button

Claims

1. The item diagnosis unit diagnoses whether there are any abnormalities in each item based on operational information for multiple items sensed from the equipment, A display control unit that displays the diagnostic results for each of the multiple items of the device diagnosed by the item diagnostic unit on a display unit in a way that allows for identification of three or more levels: information indicating that the item is normal, information indicating that the item is abnormal, and information indicating that the problem can be resolved by the user themselves. A device diagnostic system characterized by comprising the following features.

2. The system further comprises a comprehensive diagnostic unit that, if an abnormality is found in any of the diagnostic results of multiple items of the equipment diagnosed by the item diagnostic unit, sets the overall diagnostic result for the equipment to abnormal, and if no abnormalities are found in any of the diagnostic results of multiple items of the equipment, sets the overall diagnostic result for the equipment to normal. The display control unit causes the display unit to display the diagnostic results of multiple items of the equipment diagnosed by the item diagnostic unit and the overall diagnostic results of the equipment diagnosed by the overall diagnostic unit. The equipment diagnostic system according to claim 1, characterized in that it is the same as described in claim 1.

3. The item diagnostic unit further outputs advice corresponding to the diagnostic results for the multiple items sensed from the equipment. The display control unit displays any abnormality among the diagnostic results of the multiple items, and advice corresponding to the diagnostic results, on the same screen. The equipment diagnostic system according to claim 1, characterized in that it is the same as described in claim 1.

4. The display control unit further comprises a file generation unit that generates a file containing the information displayed on the display unit, The display control unit causes the display unit to display a two-dimensional barcode on which the file compiled by the file generation unit can be downloaded, or a link to display the two-dimensional barcode. The equipment diagnostic system according to claim 1, characterized in that it is the same as described in claim 1.

5. The display control unit, if the power to the equipment is turned off while the equipment is in operation, causes the display unit to display a message indicating that the power to the equipment was turned off while it was in operation. The equipment diagnostic system according to claim 1, characterized in that it is the same as described in claim 1.

6. The aforementioned device is a refrigerator, The display control unit displays the internal temperature of each compartment of the refrigerator and the diagnostic results. The equipment diagnostic system according to claim 1, characterized in that it is the same as described in claim 1.

7. The display control unit displays advice corresponding to the diagnostic result and the operator's confirmation items related to the advice on the same screen. The equipment diagnostic system according to claim 1, characterized in that it is the same as described in claim 1.

8. The display control unit further displays abnormal and normal values ​​of operational information for each item of the equipment on the same screen, and displays advice to the user regarding the abnormal value and confirmation items for the operator regarding the advice on the same screen. The equipment diagnostic system according to claim 1, characterized in that it is the same as described in claim 1.

9. The display control unit displays predetermined tabs that are independent of the model of the device, and when each predetermined tab is selected, it displays the judgment items corresponding to the selected predetermined tab. The equipment diagnostic system according to claim 1, characterized in that it is the same as described in claim 1.

10. The display control unit displays the operating information of the equipment, and displays it together with the operating information of equipment used by other users of the same model as the equipment. The equipment diagnostic system according to claim 1, characterized in that it is the same as described in claim 1.

11. The display control unit displays the operating information for each item of the equipment separately for basic performance and short-term load. The equipment diagnostic system according to claim 1, characterized in that it is the same as described in claim 1.

12. The display control unit displays the overall diagnostic result and a repair request icon on the user terminal's display unit. The equipment diagnostic system according to claim 2, characterized in that it is the same as described in claim 2.

13. The process involves a step in which the item diagnostic unit diagnoses whether or not there is an abnormality in each item based on operational information for multiple items sensed from the equipment, and The steps include: causing the display control unit to display the diagnostic results for each of the multiple items of the device diagnosed by the item diagnostic unit in a way that allows for identification of three or more levels of information: information indicating that the item is normal, information indicating that the item is abnormal, and information indicating that the problem can be resolved by the user themselves; A diagnostic device method characterized by comprising the following features.

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