Maintenance support system, maintenance support method, and program

Abstract

Even when the power to the equipment being maintained is turned off, the system should be able to directly indicate the location of the maintenance work to be performed on the equipment. [Solution] The maintenance support system includes a light source control means that uses power from an external power source to illuminate a light source located inside the equipment to be maintained, which indicates the location of a faulty part detected during a diagnosis of the equipment to be maintained.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a maintenance support system, a maintenance support method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] During maintenance work, the position of the maintenance target may be presented. For example, Patent Document 1 describes displaying the mounting position of a failure location of a machine on a display device.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003] <http: / / www.google.com / patents / 2019-197566>[^1]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the method of displaying the position of the maintenance target on the display screen, it may be difficult to associate the position displayed on the display screen with the actual position in the maintenance target device. For this reason, it is preferable to be able to directly indicate the position of the maintenance target in the maintenance target device. At that time, it is conceivable that the power of the maintenance target device is turned off during maintenance work. Even when the power of the maintenance target device is turned off, it is preferable to be able to directly indicate the position of the maintenance target in the maintenance target device.

[0005] An example of the object of the present disclosure is to provide a maintenance support system, a maintenance support method, and a program capable of solving the above problems.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] [^1]: The citation format for patent publications may vary depending on the specific requirements or guidelines. This is a common way to represent a patent citation in English, but it might need to be adjusted according to the actual citation style used in the relevant field or document. Here, it is assumed that the URL format is used to represent the patent citation for the purpose of translation. In a real patent text, the proper citation format would be used as per the relevant patent office's or publication's rules.According to a first aspect of this disclosure, the maintenance support system includes a light source control means that uses power from an external power source to illuminate a light source located inside the equipment to be maintained, which indicates the location of a faulty part detected in a diagnosis of the equipment to be maintained.

[0007] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, the maintenance support method includes a computer located outside the equipment to be maintained analyzing diagnostic results for the equipment to be maintained to detect a faulty part, and transmitting information to a light source control means that controls the illumination of the light source located inside the equipment to identify a light source that indicates the location of the detected faulty part among the light sources located inside the equipment to be maintained.

[0008] According to a third aspect of this disclosure, the program is a program that causes a computer located outside the equipment to be maintained to analyze diagnostic results for the equipment to be maintained to detect a faulty part, and to transmit information to a light source control means that controls the illumination of the light source located inside the equipment to identify a light source that indicates the location of the detected faulty part among the light sources located inside the equipment to be maintained. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the embodiments of this disclosure, even when the power to the equipment to be maintained is turned off, it is possible to directly indicate the location on the equipment that is subject to maintenance work. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example configuration of a maintenance support system according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of a procedure for processing a maintenance support system to assist maintenance work according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example configuration of a maintenance support system according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of a processing procedure in a maintenance support method according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of a computer configuration according to at least one embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0012] <First Embodiment> Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of a maintenance support system according to at least one embodiment. In the configuration shown in Figure 1, the maintenance support system 1 comprises a maintenance board 100, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) 200, and a maintenance unit 300. The maintenance board 100 comprises a board-side communication unit 110, a diagnostic result storage unit 120, and a light source control unit 130. The maintenance unit 300 comprises a unit-side communication unit 310, an analysis unit 320, and a unit-side power supply 330.

[0013] Figure 1 also shows the IT device 400. The IT device 400 comprises a main board 410, a disk 420, two sub-boards 430-1 and 430-2, and a target power supply 440. The main board 410 comprises two CPUs 411-1 and 411-2, and four memory modules 412-1, 412-2, 412-3, and 412-4. The IT equipment 400 may be part of the maintenance support system 1, or it may be an external component of the maintenance support system 1.

[0014] Maintenance support system 1 is a system for supporting maintenance work on equipment subject to maintenance (equipment that is subject to maintenance work). Maintenance support system 1 indicates the faulty part (the part that is subject to maintenance work) in the equipment subject to maintenance.

[0015] The IT device 400 corresponds to an example of a device to be maintained. However, the devices to be maintained for which the maintenance support system 1 can be used are not limited to specific types of devices, and can be various devices capable of detecting parts to be subject to maintenance work, such as failure parts, by executing a diagnostic program or the like. Hereinafter, a case where the IT device 400 itself executes a diagnostic program will be described as an example. However, even in a state where the power supply of the device to be maintained is connected (power-on state), a mode in which a unit for executing a diagnostic program is connected to the device to be maintained and the diagnostic program is executed may be adopted.

[0016] The maintenance board 100 is a board installed inside the IT device 400. Here, the inside of the maintenance work device may be inside the housing of the maintenance work device. Alternatively, when the maintenance work device is configured on-board or the like, the inside of the maintenance work device may be a position directly contacting the maintenance work device.

[0017] The maintenance board 100 may be installed in advance (before the start of maintenance work) inside the IT device 400, such as being mounted as a part of the IT device 400. Alternatively, the maintenance board 100 may be configured to be installed inside the IT device 400 during maintenance work. The maintenance board 100 shall be operable by receiving power supply from an external power supply (a power supply outside the IT device 400), such as the unit-side power supply 330 of the maintenance unit 300, even when the power supply of the IT device 400 is disconnected.

[0018] The diagnostic result storage unit 120 receives writing of the diagnostic result obtained by the main board 410 executing the diagnostic program of the IT device 400 from the main board 410, and stores the diagnostic result. The diagnostic result storage unit 120 corresponds to an example of diagnostic result storage means. Here, it is assumed that the main board 410 and the maintenance board 100 can communicate with each other, and data can be written from the main board 410 to the diagnostic result storage unit 120. In addition, the diagnostic result storage unit 120 is configured using a non-volatile memory, and it is assumed that the stored data will not be erased even when the power of the IT device 400 is turned off. Also, it is assumed that the diagnostic result can be read from the diagnostic result storage unit 120 even when the power of the IT device 400 is turned off.

[0019] The board-side communication unit 110 communicates with the unit-side communication unit 310 of the maintenance unit 300. The board-side communication unit 110 reads the diagnostic result from the diagnostic result storage unit 120 and transmits it to the unit-side communication unit. Also, the board-side communication unit 110 receives information for specifying the LED 200 to be lit among the plurality of provided LEDs 200 from the unit-side communication unit 310. The information for specifying the LED 200 to be lit is also referred to as LED lighting information.

[0020] The light source control unit 130 controls the lighting and extinguishing of the LED 200. In particular, the light source control unit 130 lights the LED 200 specified by the LED lighting information. Also, when the lit LED 200 receives an operation by the maintenance staff and transmits a signal, the light source control unit 130 extinguishes that LED 200. The light source control unit 130 corresponds to an example of the light source control means. The light source control unit 130 is assumed to be able to light the LED 200 even when the power of the IT device 400 is OFF by using the power supplied to the maintenance board 100 from an external power source.

[0021] The LED 200 is located inside the IT device 400 and indicates the position of the part of the IT device 400 by lighting. Specifically, the LED 200 is arranged at a position indicating the part for each part of the IT device 400, and indicates the position of that part by lighting. The position indicating the part of the IT device 400 may be a position directly contacting that part, such as the surface of that part, or may be in the vicinity of that part. Because the LED200 is located inside the IT equipment 400, the location of the parts of the IT equipment 400 can be directly indicated, compared to displaying the location on a screen. This is expected to make it easier for maintenance personnel to identify the parts of the IT equipment.

[0022] LED200 is also referred to as an LED for indicating faulty parts. LED200 is an example of a light source. However, a light source other than an LED may be used as the light source for the maintenance support system 1.

[0023] The LED200 may be pre-installed inside the IT equipment 400 (before maintenance work begins), such as being implemented as part of the IT equipment 400. Alternatively, the LED200 may be installed inside the IT equipment 400 during maintenance work. For example, the LED200 and wiring may be mounted on a circuit board that is configured to be installed in a specific position and orientation within the IT equipment 400.

[0024] In the example shown in Figure 1, LED200 is located near each of the two CPUs 411-1 and 411-2, and near each of the four memory modules 412-1, 412-2, 412-3, and 412-4. Additionally, LED200 is located on the top surface of the disk 420, the two sub-boards 430-1 and 430-2, and the target power supply 440. To distinguish individual LED200s, they can also be labeled as LED200-1, LED200-2, etc.

[0025] Furthermore, the number and location of parts of the controlled device are not limited to a specific number and location, nor are the number and location of LED200s placed inside the controlled device limited to a specific number and location. In addition, LED200s may be installed on only some of the parts of the controlled device. For example, LED200s may be installed at locations indicating consumables and components that frequently fail.

[0026] Furthermore, the LED200 is equipped with a switch that accepts manual operation. When the LED200 receives a switch operation, it transmits a signal to the light source control unit 130 indicating that the switch operation has been performed.

[0027] The maintenance unit 300 is an external device of the IT equipment 400 and communicates with the board-side communication unit 110 to provide LED illumination information. The maintenance unit 300 is configured using a computer, such as a laptop computer.

[0028] The unit-side communication unit 310 communicates with the board-side communication unit 110 of the maintenance board 100. As described above regarding the board-side communication unit 110, the unit-side communication unit 310 receives the diagnostic results of the IT equipment 400 from the board-side communication unit 110. The unit-side communication unit 310 also transmits LED illumination information to the board-side communication unit 110.

[0029] The analysis unit 320 analyzes the diagnostic results of the IT equipment 400 and generates LED lighting information. For example, the analysis unit 320 may pre-store the correspondence between each part of the IT device 400 and each individual LED 200. The analysis unit 320 may then analyze the diagnostic results of the IT device 400 to identify the faulty part and identify the LED 200 associated with the identified faulty part. The analysis unit 320 may then generate identification information for the identified LED 200 as LED lighting information and transmit it to the light source control unit 130 via the unit-side communication unit 310 and the board-side communication unit 110.

[0030] The unit-side power supply 330 supplies power to various parts of the maintenance unit 300 when the maintenance unit 300 is powered on. The unit-side power supply 330 is also connected to the maintenance board 100 by a maintenance worker and supplies power to the maintenance board 100.

[0031] Figure 2 shows an example of the procedure for processing that the maintenance support system 1 uses to assist with maintenance work.

[0032] (Step S1) A maintenance worker installs a maintenance board 100 and an LED 200 inside the IT equipment 400. As described above, the maintenance board 100 and the LED 200, or either one thereof, may be pre-installed inside the IT equipment 400. After step S1, the process proceeds to step S2.

[0033] (Step S2) The main board 410 of the IT device 400 executes a diagnostic program according to the instructions of the maintenance worker. This causes the IT device 400 to perform a diagnosis on itself. The execution of the diagnostic program clears the information from past maintenance stored in the diagnostic result storage unit 120 of the maintenance board 100. This prevents past maintenance information from being mistakenly referenced. After step S2, the process proceeds to step S3.

[0034] (Step S3) Once the diagnostic program has finished running, the main board 410 sends the diagnostic results to the maintenance board 100 and stores them in the diagnostic result storage unit 120. If a fault is detected during the diagnosis, the diagnostic results shall include information indicating the faulty part. The diagnostic result data may be transmitted using a dedicated bus or using the system bus within the IT equipment 400. After step S3, the process proceeds to step S4.

[0035] (Step S4) The maintenance worker turns off the power to the IT equipment 400 unit and connects the maintenance unit 300 to the maintenance board 100. After step S4, the process proceeds to step S5.

[0036] (Step S5) The maintenance worker activates the maintenance unit 300. When the maintenance unit 300 is started, it supplies power to the maintenance board 100. The post-processing in step S5 proceeds to step S6.

[0037] (Step S6) The board-side communication unit 110 of the maintenance board 100 reads the diagnostic results stored in the diagnostic result storage unit 120 in step S3 and transmits them to the maintenance unit 300. After step S6, the process proceeds to step S7.

[0038] (Step S7) The analysis unit 320 of the maintenance unit 300 analyzes the diagnostic results received from the maintenance board 100. The analysis unit 320 detects the faulty part by analyzing the diagnostic results. After step S7, the process proceeds to step S8.

[0039] (Step S8) The maintenance unit 300 transmits LED illumination information to the maintenance board 100, which identifies the LED 200 located at the position corresponding to the detected fault (the position indicating the fault). After step S8, the process proceeds to step S9.

[0040] (Step S9) The light source control unit 130 of the maintenance board 100 lights up the LED 200 located at the position corresponding to the faulty part, according to the LED lighting information received from the maintenance unit 300. After step S9, the process proceeds to step S10.

[0041] (Step S10) A maintenance worker checks if the LED200 lights up and then performs maintenance on the faulty part. For example, the maintenance worker replaces the faulty part. After step S10, the process proceeds to step S11.

[0042] (Step S11) As described above, LED200 is assumed to have a switch, such as a push-button switch. When maintenance of a faulty part, such as replacing a part, is completed, the maintenance worker performs a switch operation, such as pressing LED200. The switch operation notifies the maintenance board 100 that maintenance of the faulty part has been completed. For example, LED200 that has received a switch operation may send a signal to the maintenance board 100 indicating that the switch operation has been performed. After step S11, the process proceeds to step S12.

[0043] (Step S12) When the light source control unit 130 of the maintenance board 100 detects that a switch operation has been performed on the LED 200, it turns off the LED 200 that was switched on. If multiple faulty parts are detected, the process from steps S10 to S12 is repeated.

[0044] For example, the maintenance unit 300 (e.g., the analysis unit 320) or the maintenance board 100 (e.g., the light source control unit 130) determines whether or not it has detected switch operations for all LEDs 200 at the corresponding locations for all detected faulty parts. In other words, the maintenance unit 300 or the maintenance board 100 determines whether or not maintenance has been completed for all detected faulty parts.

[0045] If the light source control unit 130 determines that there is a faulty part among the detected faulty parts where no switch operation has been detected for the corresponding LED 200, it lights up the LED 200 of the next faulty part (any one of the faulty parts for which no switch operation has been detected yet). In this case, the order in which the LEDs 200 should be lit may be instructed from the analysis unit 320 of the maintenance unit 300 to the light source control unit 130 of the maintenance board 100. After the light source control unit 130 lights up the next faulty LED 200, the process returns to step S10.

[0046] Alternatively, the light source control unit 130 may, in step S9, illuminate the LED 200 at the corresponding position for all detected fault locations. The process from steps S10 to S12 may then be repeated until the light source control unit 130 detects a switch operation on the LED 200 at the corresponding position for all detected fault locations.

[0047] If the light source control unit 130 determines that it has detected a switch operation on the LED 200 at the corresponding location for all detected faulty parts, the process proceeds to step S13. Even if only one faulty location is detected, and the light source control unit 130 detects a switch operation on the LED 200 at the location corresponding to that faulty location, this is included in the case where a switch operation is detected on the LED 200 at the corresponding location for all detected faulty locations.

[0048] (Step S13) The maintenance worker turns on the power to IT device 400 and starts it up. After startup, the main board 410 of IT device 400 executes a diagnostic program according to the maintenance worker's instructions. If no abnormalities are detected during the diagnostic program, the maintenance work is complete.

[0049] As described above, the light source control unit 130 uses power from an external power source to illuminate the LED 200 located inside the IT device 400 that indicates the location of a fault detected during the diagnosis of the IT device 400.

[0050] According to the maintenance support system 1, even when the power to the IT equipment 400 is turned off, it is possible to directly indicate the location of the IT equipment 400 that is the target of maintenance work. In particular, the maintenance board 100 operates by receiving power from an external power source, such as power from the maintenance unit 300, and uses power from the external power source to light up the LED 200, so that the LED 200 can be lit even when the IT equipment 400 is powered off. Furthermore, because the LED 200 is located inside the IT equipment 400, it can directly indicate the location that needs maintenance work. In this respect, maintenance support system 1 can identify the faulty part regardless of the maintenance worker's skill level, which enables smooth parts replacement. Furthermore, the maintenance support system 1 is expandable in that it is possible to increase the number of LEDs 200.

[0051] Furthermore, the diagnostic result storage unit 120 stores the diagnostic results that the IT device 400 itself has performed on the IT device 400, so that they can be read even when the power to the IT device 400 is turned off. The location of the faulty part is detected through analysis of the diagnostic results. According to the maintenance support system 1, by using the diagnostic results generated by the IT equipment 400 itself, there is no need to set up a separate configuration for performing the diagnosis. Furthermore, in the maintenance support system 1, the diagnostic result storage unit 120 stores the diagnostic results so that they can be read even when the power to the IT equipment 400 is turned off. This allows the system to analyze the diagnostic results and determine which LED 200 to light up, even when the power to the IT equipment 400 is turned off for maintenance work.

[0052] Furthermore, the diagnostic result storage unit 120 is located inside the IT device 400. As a result, it is expected that the maintenance support system 1 will be able to relatively easily establish a communication connection between the main board 410 and the maintenance board 100 in order to store the diagnostic results from the main board 410 in the diagnostic result storage unit 120. If the maintenance board 100 is pre-installed inside the IT equipment 400, it is also possible to connect the main board 410 and the maintenance board 100 in a communication manner in advance.

[0053] Furthermore, the LED200 is equipped with a switch that accepts switch operation. When the light source control unit 130 detects a switch operation on an LED 200 that is currently lit, it turns off the LED 200. According to the maintenance support system 1, by turning off the LED 200 that indicates the part where maintenance work has been completed, it is possible to prevent maintenance personnel from mistakenly believing that maintenance on that part has not been completed. Furthermore, the light source control unit 130 can detect switch operations on the LED 200 to determine that maintenance work on the corresponding part has been completed. As a result, in the maintenance support system 1, if multiple faults are detected in different parts, the light source control unit 130 can sequentially light up the LED 200.

[0054] Furthermore, if multiple faulty parts are detected, the light source control unit 130, upon detecting a switch operation on an LED 200 that is currently lit, turns off that LED 200 and lights up the LED 200 indicating the location of the faulty part among the detected faulty parts for which a switch operation has not been detected on the LED 200 indicating the location of that faulty part. This process is repeated for all detected faulty parts until a switch operation is detected on the LED 200 indicating the location of that faulty part. According to the maintenance support system 1, the location of all detected faulty parts can be shown to maintenance personnel, which is expected to prevent any omissions in maintenance work.

[0055] Furthermore, the maintenance unit 300 is located outside the IT equipment 400, analyzes the diagnostic results for the IT equipment 400 to detect faulty parts, and transmits information to the light source control unit 130 that identifies the LED 200 indicating the location of the detected faulty part. The light source control unit 130 lights up the LED 200 identified by the information that identifies the LED 200.

[0056] According to the maintenance support system 1, the analysis of diagnostic results can be performed outside of the IT equipment 400, which allows for a reduction in the size of the maintenance board 100. As a result, it is expected that the maintenance support system 1 will not have any problems securing installation space when installing the maintenance board 100 inside the IT equipment 400. Furthermore, according to the maintenance support system 1, because the maintenance board 100 is small in size, it is expected that hardware costs will be low (cheap) by permanently installing the maintenance board 100 inside the IT equipment 400 and sharing the maintenance unit 300 among multiple IT equipment 400s.

[0057] Furthermore, the light source control unit 130 is located inside the IT equipment 400. According to the maintenance support system 1, it is expected that the connection between the LED 200 located inside the IT equipment 400 and the light source control unit 130 will be easy.

[0058] <Second Embodiment> Figure 3 shows an example of the configuration of a maintenance support system according to at least one embodiment. In the configuration shown in Figure 3, the maintenance support system 610 includes a light source control unit 611.

[0059] In this configuration, the light source control unit 611 uses power from an external power source to illuminate a light source located inside the equipment to be maintained that indicates the location of a fault detected during the diagnosis of the equipment to be maintained. The light source control unit 611 is an example of a light source control means.

[0060] According to the maintenance support system 610, even when the power to the equipment to be maintained is turned off, it is possible to directly indicate the location of the equipment that is the target of maintenance work. In particular, the light source control unit 611 operates by receiving power from an external power source and uses that power to illuminate the light source, allowing the light source to be illuminated even when the power to the equipment being maintained is turned off. Furthermore, because the light source is located inside the equipment being maintained, the location of the maintenance work can be directly indicated. In this respect, the maintenance support system 610 can identify the faulty part regardless of the maintenance worker's skill level, which enables smooth parts replacement. Furthermore, the maintenance support system 610 is expandable in that it can be expanded by adding more light sources.

[0061] <Third Embodiment> Figure 4 shows an example of the processing steps in a maintenance support method according to at least one embodiment. The maintenance support method shown in Figure 4 includes detecting a faulty part (step S611) and transmitting information (step S612).

[0062] In detecting the faulty part (step S611), a computer located outside the equipment to be maintained analyzes the diagnostic results for the equipment to be maintained and detects the faulty part. In transmitting information (step S612), the computer transmits information to a light source control means that controls the illumination of a light source located inside the equipment to be maintained, which identifies the light source indicating the location of the detected faulty part among the light sources located inside the equipment to be maintained.

[0063] According to the maintenance support method shown in Figure 4, the analysis of diagnostic results can be performed outside the equipment being maintained, which allows for a reduction in the size of the light source control means. As a result, it is expected that the maintenance support method shown in Figure 4 will not cause problems in securing installation space when installing the light source control means inside the equipment being maintained. Furthermore, according to the maintenance support method shown in Figure 4, the scale of the light source control means is small, and by permanently installing the light source control means inside the equipment being maintained and sharing the computer that analyzes the diagnostic results among multiple pieces of equipment being maintained, it is expected that hardware costs will be low.

[0064] Figure 5 shows an example of a computer configuration according to at least one embodiment. In the configuration shown in Figure 5, the computer 700 comprises a CPU 710, a main memory 720, an auxiliary memory 730, an interface 740, and a non-volatile recording medium 750.

[0065] The maintenance unit 300 or a part thereof may be implemented in the computer 700. In that case, the operation of each processing unit described above is stored in auxiliary storage device 730 in the form of a program. The CPU 710 reads the program from auxiliary storage device 730, loads it into main memory device 720, and executes the above processing according to the program. The CPU 710 also allocates memory areas in main memory device 720 corresponding to each of the above-mentioned storage units according to the program.

[0066] Communication between the maintenance unit 300 and other devices is performed by the interface 740, which has a communication function and communicates according to the control of the CPU 710. Interaction between the maintenance unit 300 and the user is performed by the interface 740, which has input and output devices, and presents information to the user via the output device and accepts user operations via the input device according to the control of the CPU 710. In addition, the interface 740 has a port for the non-volatile recording medium 750 and performs reading information from and writing information to the non-volatile recording medium 750.

[0067] One or more of the above-mentioned programs may be recorded on the non-volatile recording medium 750. In this case, the interface 740 may read the program from the non-volatile recording medium 750. The CPU 710 may then either directly execute the program read by the interface 740, or temporarily save it in the main memory 720 or auxiliary memory 730 before executing it.

[0068] Alternatively, a program for executing all or part of the processes performed by the maintenance unit 300 may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on this recording medium may be loaded into a computer system and executed to perform the processes of each part. The term "computer system" here includes hardware such as the operating system (OS) and peripheral devices. Furthermore, "computer-readable recording media" refers to portable media such as flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs (Read Only Memory), CD-ROMs (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), and storage devices such as hard disks built into computer systems. The above-mentioned program may be intended to implement only a part of the functions described above, and may also be able to implement the above-mentioned functions in combination with programs already recorded in the computer system.

[0069] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various modifications to the structure and details of the present disclosure are possible, as can be understood by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the embodiments described above may be combined with other embodiments as appropriate.

[0070] Some or all of the above embodiments may also be described as follows, but are not limited to the following:

[0071] (Note 1) Light source control means for illuminating a light source located inside the equipment to be maintained, which indicates the location of a faulty part detected during a diagnosis of the equipment to be maintained, using power from an external power source of the equipment to be maintained. A maintenance support system equipped with the following features.

[0072] (Note 2) The system includes diagnostic result storage means that stores the diagnostic results of the equipment to be maintained by the equipment itself in a manner that can be read even when the power to the equipment to be maintained is turned off, The location of the faulty part is detected by the analysis of the diagnostic results. The maintenance support system described in Appendix 1.

[0073] (Note 3) The diagnostic result storage means is located inside the equipment to be maintained. The maintenance support system described in Appendix 2.

[0074] (Note 4) The aforementioned light source is equipped with a switch that accepts switch operation, When the aforementioned light source control means detects a switch operation on a light source that is currently lit, it turns off the light source. A maintenance support system described in any one of the appendices 1 to 3.

[0075] (Note 5) If multiple faulty parts are detected, the light source control means, upon detecting a switch operation on a light source that is currently lit, turns off that light source and turns on the light source indicating the location of the faulty part for which a switch operation has not been detected. This process is repeated for all detected faulty parts until a switch operation is detected on the light source indicating the location of each faulty part. A maintenance support system described in any one of the appendices 1 through 4.

[0076] (Note 6) The maintenance unit is located outside the equipment to be maintained, analyzes the diagnostic results for the equipment to be maintained to detect faulty parts, and transmits information to the light source control means to identify a light source indicating the location of the detected faulty parts. The light source control means turns on the light source identified by the information identifying the light source. A maintenance support system described in any one of the appendices 1 through 5.

[0077] (Note 7) The light source control means is located inside the equipment to be maintained. A maintenance support system described in any one of the appendices 1 through 6.

[0078] (Note 8) A computer located outside the equipment being maintained, The diagnostic results for the equipment to be maintained are analyzed to detect the faulty part. Information identifying the light source indicating the location of the detected faulty part among the light sources located inside the equipment to be maintained is transmitted to a light source control means that controls the illumination of the light source located inside. Maintenance support methods that include this.

[0079] (Note 9) On a computer located outside the equipment being maintained, The diagnostic results for the equipment to be maintained are analyzed to detect the faulty part, Information identifying the light source indicating the location of the detected faulty part among the light sources located inside the equipment to be maintained is transmitted to a light source control means that controls the illumination of the light source located inside the equipment. A program that executes the command. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0080] 1. 610 Maintenance Support System 100 maintenance boards 110 Board-side communication section 120 Diagnostic Result Storage Unit 130, 611 Light source control unit 200 LED 300 Maintenance Units 310 Unit-side communication section 320 Analysis Department 330 Unit-side power supply 400 IT equipment 410 Mainboard 411-1, 411-2 CPU 412-1, 412-2, 412-3, 412-4 memory 420 discs 430-1, 430-2 Subboard 440 Target power supply

Claims

1. Light source control means for illuminating a light source located inside the equipment to be maintained, which indicates the location of a faulty part detected during a diagnosis of the equipment to be maintained, using power from an external power source of the equipment to be maintained. A maintenance support system equipped with the following features.

2. The system includes diagnostic result storage means that stores the diagnostic results of the equipment to be maintained by the equipment itself in a manner that can be read even when the power to the equipment to be maintained is turned off, The location of the faulty part is detected by the analysis of the diagnostic results. The maintenance support system according to claim 1.

3. The diagnostic result storage means is located inside the equipment to be maintained. The maintenance support system according to claim 2.

4. The aforementioned light source is equipped with a switch that accepts switch operation, When the aforementioned light source control means detects a switch operation on a light source that is currently lit, it turns off the light source. The maintenance support system according to claim 1.

5. If multiple faulty parts are detected, the light source control means, upon detecting a switch operation on a light source that is currently lit, turns off that light source and turns on the light source indicating the location of a faulty part among the detected faulty parts for which a switch operation has not been detected on the light source indicating the location of that faulty part. This process is repeated for all detected faulty parts until a switch operation is detected on the light source indicating the location of that faulty part. The maintenance support system according to claim 1.

6. The maintenance unit is located outside the equipment to be maintained, analyzes the diagnostic results for the equipment to be maintained to detect faulty parts, and transmits information to the light source control means to identify a light source indicating the location of the detected faulty parts. The light source control means turns on the light source identified by the information identifying the light source. The maintenance support system according to claim 1.

7. The light source control means is located inside the equipment to be maintained. The maintenance support system according to claim 1.

8. A computer located outside the equipment being maintained, The diagnostic results for the equipment to be maintained are analyzed to detect the faulty part. Information identifying the light source indicating the location of the detected faulty part among the light sources located inside the equipment to be maintained is transmitted to a light source control means that controls the illumination of the light source located inside. Maintenance support methods that include this.

9. On a computer located outside the equipment being maintained, The diagnostic results for the equipment to be maintained are analyzed to detect the faulty part, Information identifying the light source indicating the location of the detected faulty part among the light sources located inside the equipment to be maintained is transmitted to a light source control means that controls the illumination of the light source located inside the equipment. A program that executes the command.

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