System and Method

Abstract

The aim is to improve the convenience of remote device repair. [Solution] The network device in the system of the present invention includes means for transmitting operational information to a device management system, means for executing a remote repair process in response to instructions from the device management system, means for receiving information on candidate automatic repair actions from the device management system, and means for executing processing for automatic repair based on the information on candidate automatic repair actions without executing the remote repair process, with the user's consent.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and a method, and more particularly, to a system including a network device and a device management system, and a method for the system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a system has been constructed for remotely managing an image forming apparatus (hereinafter also referred to as a device) via an Internet line or the like by a management server. In this system, when any trouble occurs in the image forming apparatus, communication is made with the server, and on the server side, a repair operator can identify and solve problems of the image forming apparatus by remote operation (hereinafter referred to as remote repair). At the time of remote repair, since it is necessary to transmit setting information and the like of the image forming apparatus to the server, it is common to obtain the consent of the customer. In addition, there may often be cases where it is not necessary to perform remote repair, such as when the customer can solve the problem by simply restarting the device even if a problem occurs.

[0003] In Patent Document 1, a method has been proposed in which failure information of an image forming apparatus is analyzed to determine an emergency level, and if the emergency level is high, a reset signal for returning the image forming apparatus to an initial state is transmitted.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the technology described in Patent Document 1, the urgency level is determined based on the failure event, and a device reset signal is sent if action is required. However, there was a risk that the selection of events requiring action was not always appropriate. Furthermore, there was a problem that resetting the device might not be an appropriate solution.

[0006] Furthermore, there were challenges such as the need for a repair operator to be available on the server side to initiate remote repairs, and the resulting decrease in customer satisfaction due to the time it takes from the occurrence of a device problem to its resolution.

[0007] Therefore, there has traditionally been room for improvement regarding the convenience of remote device repair.

[0008] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems and aims to improve the convenience of remote repair of devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A system according to one embodiment of the present invention is a system comprising a network device and a device management system, wherein the network device has means for transmitting operational information to the device management system and means for executing a remote repair process in response to instructions from the device management system, the device management system has means for receiving a repair request for an error occurring in the network device, means for creating a candidate for an automatic repair action for the error based on the operational information transmitted from the network device, and means for transmitting the candidate for the automatic repair action to the network device, and the network device has means for receiving information on the candidate for the automatic repair action from the device management system and means for executing processing for automatic repair based on the information on the candidate for the automatic repair action without executing the remote repair process, with the consent of the user. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, the convenience of remote repair of devices can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the configuration of a system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a hardware configuration diagram of the remote repair server 103 and the image forming apparatus 102. [Figure 3] This is a software configuration diagram of a system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is the processing flow in the image forming apparatus 102 and the remote repair server 103. [Figure 5] This is the processing flow in the image forming apparatus 102 and the remote repair server 103. [Figure 6] This is an error notification screen. [Figure 7] This is an example of transmission data sent by the image forming apparatus 102. [Figure 8] This is an example of data transmitted by the remote repair server 103. [Figure 9] This screen notifies the end user that the repair action is about to begin. [Figure 10] This screen confirms whether the problem has been resolved. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the present invention as defined in the claims, and not all combinations of features described in these embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the present invention. Furthermore, identical components are given the same reference numeral and their descriptions are omitted.

[0013] <Embodiment 1> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the system 10 includes a network 100, an image forming apparatus 102, and a remote repair server 103. The network 100 is a so-called communication network realized by, for example, a LAN such as the Internet, a WAN, a public telephone line, etc., and any network capable of transmitting and receiving data may be used. LAN is an abbreviation for Local Area Network. WAN is an abbreviation for Wide Area Network.

[0014] The image forming apparatus 102 is an example of a device. Also, the image forming apparatus 102 is an example of a network device. The image forming apparatus 102 is a digital multifunction device called a printer or an MFP (Multi Function Peripheral), and has functions such as printing, FAX, copying, scanning, etc. A large number of models and bodies of the image forming apparatus 102 are generally connected to this system, and may be configured in physical or logical group units according to the organization or company to which they belong.

[0015] The remote repair server 103 is configured as a cloud server adopting cloud computing technology, and is communicable with the image forming apparatus 102 via the network 100. The remote repair server 103 is an example of a device management system. Note that the remote repair server 103 may be realized by a plurality of servers, and furthermore, it may be configured using a server computer instead of cloud computing.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of the remote repair server 103 and the image forming apparatus 102. FIG. 2(A) is a hardware configuration diagram of the remote repair server 103, and FIG. 2(B) is a hardware configuration diagram of the image forming apparatus 102.

[0017] In FIG. 2(A), 200 is a system bus, 201 is a CPU, 202 is a ROM, 203 is a RAM, 204 is a HDD, 205 is an input device, 206 is an output device, and 207 is an external interface (I / F). The CPU is an abbreviation for Central Processing Unit. The ROM is an abbreviation for Read Only Memory. The RAM is an abbreviation for Random Access Memory. The HDD is an abbreviation for Hard Disk Drive.

[0018] The CPU 201 directly or indirectly controls each device (such as the ROM 202 and the RAM 203) connected by the system bus 200, and executes a program for realizing the present invention. The ROM 202 stores the BIOS. The BIOS is an abbreviation for Basic Input Output System. The RAM 203 is a direct storage device that is used as a work area of the CPU 201 or as temporary storage for loading software modules for realizing the present invention.

[0019] The HDD 204 is an indirect storage device that stores an OS, which is basic software, and software modules. The OS is an abbreviation for Operating System. Note that the HDD 204 may be an indirect storage device such as an SSD. The SSD is an abbreviation for Solid State Drive. The input device 205 is a keyboard, a pointing device, or the like. The output device 206 is connected to a display. The I / F 207 is an interface for connecting to the network 100.

[0020] In this hardware, after startup, the CPU201 executes the BIOS, and the OS is loaded from the HDD204 into RAM203 in an executable state. The CPU201 loads various software modules, described later, from the HDD204 into RAM203 in an executable state as the OS operates. These software modules are executed and operated by the CPU201 in cooperation with the above devices. In addition, the I / F207 is connected to the Internet 100 or a local network (not shown), and is controlled by the CPU201 according to the OS operation, enabling communication using the communication means described above.

[0021] In Figure 2(B), 230 is the system bus, 231 is the CPU, 232 is the ROM, 233 is the RAM, 234 is the network controller, and 235 is the disk controller (DKC). Also in Figure 2(B), 236 is the external memory, 237 is the raster controller, 238 is the print engine, 239 is the control panel, 240 is the storage device, and 241 is the device interface (I / F).

[0022] The CPU 231 controls the entire image forming apparatus 102 and comprehensively controls access to various devices connected to the system bus 230. This control is based on a control program stored in the ROM 232, or on control programs and resource data (resource information) stored in the external memory 236 connected via the disk controller (DKC) 235.

[0023] RAM233 functions as the main memory or work area of ​​the CPU231, and is configured to allow capacity expansion by optional RAM connected to an expansion port (not shown). Storage device 240 is an external storage means that functions as a large-capacity storage device.

[0024] The control panel 239 consists of a display / operation unit such as an LCD touch panel and an operation unit such as hard buttons. The control panel 239 displays settings such as the operating mode and operating status of the image forming apparatus 102 to the end user, and accepts operations such as specifying content data to print and changing various settings. The end user is an example of a user.

[0025] The network controller 234 is, for example, a network interface card (NIC), and performs data transmission and reception with external devices via the network controller 234. The raster controller 237 is, for example, a device that converts print data expressed in a page description language into raster image data.

[0026] The print engine 238 uses known printing technologies to form an image on the recording medium based on image data input from the raster controller 237. The print engine 238 is, for example, an electrophotographic (laser beam), inkjet, or sublimation (thermal transfer) print engine. The device I / F 241 is a connection interface for external devices that can be connected via USB or the like.

[0027] The following describes the system's behavior when an end-user attempts to request remote repair after an error occurs on the image forming apparatus 102. Figure 3 is a software configuration diagram of the system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0028] In Figure 3, 301 is the error detection unit, 302 is the equipment status acquisition and storage unit, 303 is the control unit, 304 is the standby risk value calculation unit, 305 is the communication unit, 306 is the device information collection unit, and 307 is the repair action execution unit. Also in Figure 3, 320 is the communication unit, 321 is the repair action selection unit, 322 is the error DB, 323 is the device DB, 324 is the repair history DB, 325 is the control unit, and 326 is the remote repair execution unit.

[0029] Figures 4 and 5 show the processing flow in the image forming apparatus 102 and the remote repair server 103. Figure 5 shows the processing that follows Figure 4. In Figures 4 and 5, the image forming apparatus 102 is referred to as the device, and the remote repair server 103 is referred to as the server. The processing flow shown in Figures 4 and 5 is initiated when some error occurs on the image forming apparatus 102. The error that occurs is detected by the error detection unit 301.

[0030] When the flow starts, the image forming apparatus 102 first acquires and stores its state in step S401 in Figure 4. This step S401 is performed by the device state acquisition and storage unit 302. Here, the device state refers to various hardware or software states of the image forming apparatus 102, such as the current time, the number of print jobs in standby, and the cumulative power consumption. Here, it is assumed that in step S401, the image forming apparatus 102 obtained the values ​​shown in Table 1. That is, in step S401, the image forming apparatus 102 acquired the current time as October 10, 2023, 12:00:00, the number of print jobs in standby as 1, and the cumulative power consumption as 15 kWh. [Table 1]

[0031] Next, in step S402, the image forming apparatus 102 displays an error notification screen on the operation panel 239. Figure 6 shows the error notification screen displayed by the image forming apparatus 102 in step S402.

[0032] In Figure 6, 501 is an explanatory text, 502 is a remote repair button, and 503 is a close button. The explanatory text 501 displays a message indicating that an error has occurred and an error code. The remote repair button 502 is a button to initiate a remote repair request. In this embodiment, the error notification screen in Figure 6 is in modal format, and other operations are not accepted while this screen is displayed. In other words, the end user must press one of the buttons on this screen.

[0033] Next, in step S403, the image forming apparatus 102 determines whether or not a remote repair has been requested. The image forming apparatus 102 determines that a remote repair has been requested if the remote repair button 502 is pressed on the error notification screen in Figure 6, and determines that a remote repair has not been requested if the close button 503 is pressed. If the image forming apparatus 102 determines that a remote repair has been requested, the process in step S404 is executed. If the image forming apparatus 102 determines that a remote repair has not been requested, the image forming apparatus 102 closes the error notification screen and terminates the processes in Figures 4 and 5. If the end user wishes to perform a remote repair, they press the remote repair button 502 on the error notification screen in Figure 6.

[0034] At this time, the image forming apparatus 102 displays a permission screen for sending equipment information to the remote repair server 103, but the explanation is omitted. This permission may be included in a blanket agreement or similar beforehand, in which case the permission screen may not be displayed by separately checking the contract status.

[0035] In step S404, the image forming apparatus 102 acquires the equipment status again using the equipment status acquisition and storage unit 302, and further calculates the difference between that result and the equipment status acquired at the time the error occurred. Here, it is assumed that in step S404, the image forming apparatus 102 obtained the values ​​shown in Table 2 as the difference. That is, in step S404, it is assumed that the image forming apparatus 102 acquired 0 hours 10 minutes 0 seconds as the elapsed time, 1 as the number of pending print jobs, and 10 kWh as the power consumption. In the case of the values ​​in Table 2, it means that 10 minutes have passed since the error occurred until the end user presses the remote repair button 502, during which time there has been one new print job, and the power consumption has increased by 10 kWh. [Table 2]

[0036] Next, in step S405, the image forming apparatus 102 calculates the standby risk value. This step S405 is performed by the standby risk value calculation unit 304. The standby risk value is a value that evaluates the changes in circumstances that occur during the standby period, which is defined as the time from when an error occurs on the image forming apparatus 102 until the end user recognizes it and requests remote repair.

[0037] In this embodiment, risk coefficients, which are coefficients for calculating the standby risk value for each item of the differential information obtained in step S404, are predetermined. Here, the risk coefficients for each item of the differential information obtained in step S404 are the risk coefficients shown in Table 3. As shown in Table 3, in this embodiment, the risk coefficient for elapsed time is set to 0.1 per minute, the risk coefficient for the number of pending print jobs is set to 0.1 per job, and the risk coefficient for power consumption is set to 0.01 per kWh. [Table 3]

[0038] The image forming apparatus 102 obtains a standby risk value for each item by multiplying the risk value coefficient in Table 3 by the difference information (differences in each equipment state) in Table 2. Here, the image forming apparatus 102 obtains 1 as the standby risk value for elapsed time, 0.1 as the standby risk value for the number of pending print jobs, and 0.1 as the standby risk value for power consumption. In this embodiment, the largest standby risk value among the standby risk values ​​for each item is adopted as the standby risk value. Here, the standby risk value for elapsed time is 1, which is larger than the standby risk values ​​for the other items, so 1 is used as the standby risk value in this case.

[0039] Next, in step S406, the image forming apparatus 102 transmits device information and the standby risk value calculated and acquired in step S405 to the remote repair server 103. Device information is collected by the device information collection unit 306 and transmitted from the communication unit 305 to the remote repair server 103. The data transmitted in the process of step S406 includes device information such as error codes, device IDs that identify individual device housings, firmware versions, device status, and job status, as well as the standby risk value. Device information and standby risk value are examples of operational information. The data format of the data transmitted in the process of step S406 is implementation-dependent and can be any format, but for example, if implemented in JSON, it will include data as shown in Figure 7. JSON is an abbreviation for JavaScript ObjectNotation. Figure 7 is an example of the data transmitted in the process of step S406. The process of step S406 is an example of a means for transmitting operational information to the device management system.

[0040] In step S407, the remote repair server 103 receives the transmission data sent in step S406 via the network 100 using the communication unit 320. The process in step S407 is an example of a means for receiving a repair request for an error that occurred in the network device. The processes from step S407 to step S410 are processes performed on the remote repair server 103 side.

[0041] Next, in step S408, the remote repair server 103 uses the repair action selection unit 321 to select a repair action to resolve the error on the image forming apparatus 102 and generates a repair action list, which is a list of the selected repair actions. The repair action selection unit 321 refers to the error DB 322, device DB 323, and repair history DB 324 to select a repair action. The error DB 322 has error codes and repair actions to address them stored in advance, and the repair action selection unit 321 extracts a repair action to address the error code received from the image forming apparatus 102. The device DB 323 stores the model ID, installation location customer information, and the latest firmware version, with the device identifier as the key. If the firmware version received from the image forming apparatus 102 is not the latest version, the repair action selection unit 321 selects a firmware version upgrade as the repair action. The repair history DB 324 stores past repair information performed by the system according to this embodiment. The repair history DB 324 records information transmitted from the device and the actions performed, with the device identifier as the key. The repair action selection unit 321 selects an action if there is a repair history in the repair history DB 324 that matches the target device, model, and installation customer, and also matches, for example, the error code. An example of the repair action list generated in step S408 is shown in Table 4. [Table 4]

[0042] Table 4 shows an example of a repair action list where four actions are selected, and for convenience, four IDs a, b, c, and d are assigned to each of the four actions. The repair action list includes the rationale information, which is the information that underlies each action. Furthermore, the repair action list includes the expected repair value, the risk of side effects, and rollback feasibility information for each action. The expected repair value is an index ranging from 0 to 1, representing the expected value that the action will resolve the problem. The risk of side effects is an index ranging from 0 to 1, representing the possibility that the action will cause an unintended change in the equipment state. The rollback feasibility information is a flag indicating whether the action can be canceled and the equipment returned to its original state.

[0043] In Table 4, the repair action with ID 'a', which is a restart, has a relatively low repair expectation value of 0.1, but also a low side effect risk value of 0.01. Since this repair action is a device restart, rollback is not possible.

[0044] Furthermore, the repair action with ID b is a configuration change, and the rationale for this is an error code. For this repair action, the expected repair value is 0.4, the side effect risk value is 0.7, and rollback is possible.

[0045] On the other hand, the repair action with ID c is a different configuration change from the repair action with ID b, and the basis for this is the error code and repair history. This is based on the fact that there is a history of repairing the same error on the same model in the same customer's environment. For this reason, the repair expectation value for the repair action with ID c is relatively high at 0.9.

[0046] Finally, the repair action with ID d is a firmware update, which is an action based on the information that the device's firmware is not up to date.

[0047] Returning to the explanation of Figure 4, in step S409, the remote repair server 103 calculates a validity value for each repair action listed in the repair action list generated in step S408, which is a value that evaluates the validity of the repair. The validity value is obtained by the following formula (1). Validity Value = Waiting Risk Value + Repair Expectation Value ... Equation (1)

[0048] In this embodiment, the remote repair server 103 determines that an automatic repair is appropriate for a repair action if the validity value obtained by equation (1) exceeds a specific threshold, for example, 0.9. Here, as mentioned above, a standby risk value of 1 is received, so the validity value exceeds the threshold of 0.9 for all repair actions shown in Table 4. In this case, the remote repair server 103 determines that all repair actions with IDs a to d are appropriate for automatic repair. In step S410, the remote repair server 103 selects the repair actions for which automatic repair is appropriate and transmits the information of the selected repair actions as automatic repair action information to the device, i.e., the image forming apparatus 102. The processing from steps S408 to S410 is an example of a means for creating candidate automatic repair actions for the error based on the operational information transmitted from the network device. The processing in step S410 is also an example of a means for transmitting the candidate automatic repair actions to the network device.

[0049] In this case, since the validity value for all repair actions listed in the repair action list in Table 4 exceeded the threshold, all repair actions were selected as repair actions for which automatic repair is appropriate. However, it goes without saying that the number of repair actions sent in the processing of step S410 may range from 0 to the total number of repair actions listed in the repair action list, depending on the standby risk value and the contents of the repair action list.

[0050] Figure 8 shows an example of the data transmitted in step S410. As shown in Figure 8, the transmitted data, which is automated repair action information, includes a validity value for each repair action in which automated repair is appropriate, the action type, supplementary information, and rollback possibility information.

[0051] The supplementary information included in the automatic repair action information includes the setting to be changed and its value if the repair action is a setting change. Furthermore, if the repair action is a firmware update, the supplementary information includes the firmware version to be updated. In this way, the supplementary information indicates information corresponding to the repair action.

[0052] Furthermore, to simplify processing on the image forming apparatus 102, the automatic repair action information may be sorted by the validity value of the repair actions in descending order. In the automatic repair action information shown in Figure 8, the data is sorted by the validity value of the repair actions in descending order, i.e., by ID c, b, d, a. Whether or not to sort the repair actions is implementation-dependent, and equivalent processing can be performed on the image forming apparatus 102.

[0053] In step S411, the image forming apparatus 102 receives automatic repair action information from the remote repair server 103 via the communication unit 305. This received automatic repair action information is passed by the control unit 303 to the repair action execution unit 307, and the repair action is attempted in the subsequent steps. The processing in step S411 is an example of a means for receiving candidate information for the automatic repair action from the device management system.

[0054] Following the processing in step S411, in step S412 of Figure 5, the image forming apparatus 102 determines whether there are any repair actions in the automatic repair action information received in step S411 that have not yet been attempted to be automatically repaired. If the image forming apparatus 102 determines that there are any repair actions in the automatic repair action information that have not yet been attempted to be automatically repaired, the processing in step S413 is executed. If the image forming apparatus 102 determines that there are no repair actions in the automatic repair action information that have not yet been attempted to be automatically repaired, the processing in step S418 is executed.

[0055] Here, as shown in Figure 8, four repair actions have been received, so the process in step S413 is executed. If the number of repair actions included in the received automatic repair action information was 0 from the beginning, the process in step S418 is executed. In step S418, the image forming apparatus 102 enters the remote repair process. In the remote repair process, the image forming apparatus 102 displays a remote repair button and accepts a press of the remote repair button by the user. Upon receiving the press of the remote repair button, the image forming apparatus 102 cooperates with the remote repair server 103, thereby initiating the remote repair. The remote repair process is performed by the remote repair execution unit 326 of the remote repair server 103, but a detailed explanation is omitted in this embodiment. The process in step S418 is an example of a means for executing the remote repair process in response to instructions from the device management system.

[0056] In step S413, the image forming apparatus 102 displays a screen on the operation panel 239 to notify the end user that a repair action will be started. Figure 9 shows the screen displayed in step S413 to notify the end user that a repair action will be started. Here, the image forming apparatus 102 displays a screen to notify the end user that it will start the repair action for the repair action with the highest validity value among the repair actions in the automatic repair action information that have not yet been attempted to be automatically repaired.

[0057] In Figure 9, 801 is the explanatory text, 802 is the OK button, and 803 is the Cancel button. The explanatory text 801 displays a statement indicating that an automated repair will be attempted, and the content of the repair action to be performed. The process in step S413 is an example of a means to display the content of the automated repair action to be performed and a screen to accept the input of consent.

[0058] In step S414, the image forming apparatus 102 determines whether or not to attempt automatic repair, that is, whether or not it has received confirmation that the OK button 802 has been pressed. If the image forming apparatus 102 receives confirmation that the OK button 802 has been pressed, it determines to attempt automatic repair; if it receives confirmation that the Cancel button 803 has been pressed, it determines not to attempt automatic repair. If the image forming apparatus 102 determines to attempt automatic repair, the process in step S415 is executed. If the image forming apparatus 102 determines not to attempt automatic repair, the process in step S418 is executed.

[0059] In step S415, the image forming apparatus 102 actually executes the repair action displayed in step S413 using the repair action execution unit 307. The image forming apparatus 102 also sets the repair action as attempted before or after execution. This process may also be performed by deleting the repair action that was just executed from the automatic repair action information received from the remote repair server 103. The processes from steps S412 to S415 are an example of a means to execute processing for automatic repair based on information relating to the candidate automatic repair action without executing the remote repair process, with the user's consent.

[0060] Next, in step S416, the image forming apparatus 102 displays a screen on the operation panel 239 to confirm whether the problem has been resolved. Figure 10 shows the screen displayed in step S416 to confirm whether the problem has been resolved. In step S416, the image forming apparatus 102 determines whether the problem has been resolved based on the end user's input to the screen to confirm whether the problem has been resolved. The process in step S416 is an example of a means for displaying a screen that accepts input on whether the error related to the repair request has been resolved by executing the process for automatic repair.

[0061] In Figure 10, 901 is the explanatory text, 902 is the "Yes" button, and 903 is the "No" button. The end user presses the "Yes" button (902) if they determine that the problem has been resolved. The end user presses the "No" button (903) if they determine that the problem has not been resolved.

[0062] If the image forming apparatus 102 receives a press of the "yes" button 902, it determines that the problem has been resolved. If it receives a press of the "no" button 903, it determines that the problem has not been resolved. If the image forming apparatus 102 determines that the problem has not been resolved, the process in step S417 is executed.

[0063] If the image forming apparatus 102 determines that the problem has been resolved, the processes shown in Figures 4 and 5 are terminated. In this case, the process does not proceed to the remote repair process. At this termination, the image forming apparatus 102 notifies the remote repair server 103 of the completion of the process and the information of the repair action that resolved the error. The remote repair server 103 stores this notified information as repair history information in the repair history DB 324.

[0064] In step S417, the image forming apparatus 102 performs a rollback of the executed repair action, that is, a process to return the device to the state it was in before the action was performed. The image forming apparatus 102 performs the rollback of the executed repair action by storing the internal state of the device before the repair action is performed. If the information on the repair action indicates that it cannot be rolled back, nothing is performed in step S417 and the process proceeds to the next step. The process in step S417 is an example of a means to perform a rollback of the process for automatic repair when an input is received indicating that the error related to the repair request has not been resolved.

[0065] Returning from step S417 to step S412, the image forming apparatus 102 targets the repair action with the highest validity value among the remaining repair actions in the automatic repair action information and performs the processing from step S412 onward in the same manner as described above.

[0066] As explained above, in this embodiment, when an error occurs on the device and a remote repair is requested, the device is instructed to execute a repair action with a high probability of success. This means that errors can sometimes be resolved before actually entering the remote repair process, thereby improving the overall availability of the remote repair service.

[0067] <Embodiment 2> Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described below. Here, the differences between Embodiment 2 and Embodiment 1 will be explained. In Embodiment 2, the calculation of the validity value in step S409 of Figure 4 is performed using equation (2) instead of equation (1) of Embodiment 1. In equation (2), the risk value of side effects due to the repair action is taken into account when calculating the validity value. Validity Value = Waiting Risk Value + Repair Expectation Value - Side Effect Risk Value ... Equation (2)

[0068] Based on equation (2), in a situation where a standby risk value of 1 is received, the validity values ​​for the repair actions with IDs a, b, c, and d shown in Table 4 are 1.09, 0.7, 1.8, and 1.1, respectively. In this case, the validity values ​​exceeding the threshold of 0.9 are for the repair actions with IDs a, c, and d. Therefore, in Embodiment 2, in step S410, the remote repair server 103 transmits automatic repair action information, which includes the repair actions with IDs a, c, and d, to the image forming apparatus 102.

[0069] As explained above, in Embodiment 2, the appropriateness of selecting a repair action is further improved by taking into account the risk value of side effects when calculating the appropriateness value of the repair action.

[0070] Furthermore, as described above, the present invention can improve the convenience of remote repair of devices.

[0071] (Other embodiments) The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0072] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of its essence.

[0073] This embodiment includes the following configurations and methods. (Composition 1) A system including network devices and a device management system, The aforementioned network device The device management system includes means for transmitting operational information, It has means for executing a remote repair process in response to instructions from the device management system, The aforementioned device management system is A means for receiving a repair request for an error that occurred in the aforementioned network device, A means for creating candidates for automatic error repair actions based on operational information transmitted from the network device, Means for transmitting the candidates for the automated repair action to the network device, It has, The aforementioned network device Means for receiving information on candidate automatic repair actions from the device management system, With the user's consent, means for performing processing for automated repair based on information relating to the candidate automated repair action without performing the remote repair process, has A system characterized by the following features. (Configuration 2) The means for performing the aforementioned automated repair process includes means for displaying the content of the automated repair action to be performed and for displaying a screen for receiving the user's consent. The system according to configuration 1, characterized by the features described above. (Composition 3) The network device has means for displaying a screen that accepts user input regarding whether or not the error related to the repair request has been resolved by executing the process for automatic repair. The system according to configuration 1 or configuration 2, characterized by the above. (Composition 4) The network device has means for rolling back the process for the automatic repair if it receives input indicating that the error related to the repair request has not been resolved. The system according to configuration 3, characterized by the features described above. (Composition 5) The aforementioned operational information includes a waiting risk value, which is a value that evaluates the changes in the situation that occurred during the waiting period, from when an error occurs until the user becomes aware of it and requests repair, as a risk. A system according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, characterized by the above. (Composition 6) The means for creating candidates for automatic repair actions for the aforementioned error includes selecting repair actions for which a validity value, which is a value used to evaluate the validity of the repair, exceeds a threshold, as candidates for automatic repair actions for the aforementioned error. A system according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, characterized by the features described herein. (Method 1) A method for controlling a system including a network device and a device management system, The network device transmits operational information to the device management system, The network device performs a remote repair process in response to instructions from the device management system, The device management system includes the step of receiving a repair request for an error that occurred in the network device, The device management system includes the step of creating candidates for automatic error repair actions based on operational information transmitted from the network device, The device management system includes the step of sending candidates for the automated repair action to the network device, The network device receives information on candidate automatic repair actions from the device management system, The network device, with the user's consent, performs processing for automated repair based on information relating to the candidate automated repair action without executing the remote repair process, has A method characterized by the following: [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 10 Systems 100 Networks 102 Image forming apparatus 103 Remote Repair Server

Claims

1. A system including network devices and a device management system, The aforementioned network device, The device management system includes means for transmitting operational information, It has means for executing a remote repair process in response to instructions from the device management system, The aforementioned device management system is A means for receiving a repair request for an error that occurred in the aforementioned network device, A means for creating candidates for automatic error repair actions based on operational information transmitted from the network device, Means for transmitting the candidates for the automated repair action to the network device, It has, The aforementioned network device, Means for receiving information on candidate automatic repair actions from the device management system, With the user's consent, means for performing processing for automated repair based on information relating to the candidate automated repair action without performing the remote repair process, has A system characterized by the following features.

2. The means for performing the aforementioned automated repair process includes means for displaying the content of the automated repair action to be performed and for displaying a screen for receiving the user's consent. The system according to feature 1.

3. The network device has means for displaying a screen that accepts user input regarding whether or not the error related to the repair request has been resolved by executing the process for automatic repair. The system according to feature 1.

4. The network device has means for rolling back the process for the automatic repair if it receives input indicating that the error related to the repair request has not been resolved. The system according to claim 3.

5. The aforementioned operational information includes a waiting risk value, which is a value that evaluates the changes in the situation that occurred during the waiting period, from when an error occurs until the user becomes aware of it and requests repair, as a risk. The system according to feature 1.

6. The means for creating candidates for automatic repair actions for the aforementioned error includes selecting repair actions for which a validity value, which is a value used to evaluate the validity of the repair, exceeds a threshold, as candidates for automatic repair actions for the aforementioned error. The system according to feature 1.

7. A method for controlling a system including a network device and a device management system, The network device transmits operational information to the device management system, The network device performs a remote repair process in response to instructions from the device management system, The device management system includes the step of receiving a repair request for an error that occurred in the network device, The device management system includes the step of creating candidates for automatic error repair actions based on operational information transmitted from the network device, The device management system includes the step of sending candidates for the automated repair action to the network device, The network device receives information on candidate automatic repair actions from the device management system, The network device, with the user's consent, performs processing for automated repair based on information relating to the candidate automated repair action without executing the remote repair process, has A method characterized by the following:

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