Electronic equipment, image forming apparatus, and method for determining abnormalities in electronic equipment

Abstract

To facilitate identification of the source of generation of noise to reduce time and cost required for restoration of a normal state.SOLUTION: An electronic apparatus has: at least one electrical part; an electrical part abnormality determination unit that determines an abnormality in the electrical part; an input abnormality determination unit that, based on an input signal input from the electrical part, determines an abnormality in the input signal; an abnormal value counting unit that counts the number of times of the abnormality in the input signal determined by the input abnormality determination unit; an operation information holding unit that holds operation information indicating the electrical part in operation; and a determination unit that, when the electrical part abnormality determination unit determines an abnormality in the electrical part, based on the number of times of the abnormality in the input signal counted by the abnormal value counting unit and the operation information held by the operation information holding unit, determines whether the cause of the occurrence of the abnormality determined by the electrical part abnormality determination unit is the electrical part for which the electrical part abnormality determination unit determines the abnormality or noise generated from the electrical part in operation indicated by the operation information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device, an image forming apparatus, and a method for determining an abnormality of an electronic device.

Background Art

[0002] As an abnormality of an electronic device on which various electrical components are mounted, there are an abnormality associated with a failure of an electrical component and an abnormality associated with noise. The abnormality associated with noise may occur, for example, due to power supply noise or the like caused by insufficient grounding. In this type of electronic device, the number of occurrences of an abnormality of a predetermined signal input from an electrical component is counted, and when an abnormality is detected in the electrical component, based on the number of occurrences of the signal abnormality, whether the cause of the abnormality occurring in the electrical component is noise is determined. A method is known.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] However, even if it is determined that the cause of the abnormality of the electrical component is noise, if the source of the noise is not specified, there is a possibility that an abnormality of an actually normal electrical component will continue to be detected. When it is repeatedly determined that the abnormality of the electrical component is caused by noise, for example, an operation for specifying the source of the noise is performed. However, if an attempt is made to specify the source of the noise blindly, it will take time and cost, and furthermore, there is a possibility that the source of the noise cannot be specified. Also, when the electronic device does not operate normally due to an abnormality of the electrical component and the source of the noise cannot be specified, the electronic device cannot be operated.

[0004] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to facilitate the identification of the source of noise and reduce the time and cost required to recover to a normal state when it is determined that the occurrence of an abnormality of an electrical component is caused by noise.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] To solve the above technical problems, an electronic device in one embodiment of the present invention comprises: at least one electrical component; an abnormality determination unit for determining an abnormality in the electrical component; an input abnormality determination unit for determining an abnormality in an input signal based on an input signal input from the electrical component; an abnormality value count unit for counting the number of times the input signal abnormality determined by the input abnormality determination unit has occurred; an operation information holding unit for holding operation information indicating the electrical component in operation; and, when the abnormality determination unit determines an abnormality in the electrical component, a determination unit for determining, based on the number of times the input signal abnormality has occurred counted by the abnormality value count unit and the operation information held by the operation information holding unit, whether the cause of the abnormality determined by the abnormality determination unit is the electrical component that was determined to be abnormal by the abnormality determination unit or noise from the electrical component in operation indicated by the operation information. Furthermore, the determination unit determines that if an abnormal input signal, which is an input signal whose number of abnormalities counted by the abnormal value counting unit is equal to or greater than a first threshold, is related to an electrical component which has been determined to be abnormal by the electrical component abnormality determination unit, then the cause of the abnormality is the electrical component which has been determined to be abnormal by the electrical component abnormality determination unit. If the abnormal input signal is not related to an electrical component which has been determined to be abnormal by the electrical component abnormality determination unit, then the determination unit determines that the cause of the abnormality is noise from an electrical component in operation as indicated in the operation information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] If it is determined that an electrical component malfunction is caused by noise, it becomes easier to identify the source of the noise, reducing the time and cost required to restore it to normal operation. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is an overall configuration diagram showing an example of an image forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an image forming apparatus. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an image forming apparatus. [Figure 4] This flowchart shows an example of the operation of the CPU in Figure 3, which functions as an anomaly detection device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. The following description will focus on an example in which the present invention is applied to an image forming apparatus. However, the present invention is applicable to electronic devices equipped with at least one electrical component.

[0009] Examples of electronic devices to which the present invention can be applied include home appliances that require repair and maintenance by service technicians in the event of a malfunction, such as air conditioners, washing machines, refrigerators, or 3D printers. Other examples of electronic devices to which the present invention can be applied include automobiles, drones, or airplanes, which are becoming increasingly electronic due to the spread of IoT (Internet of Things). Furthermore, examples of electronic devices to which the present invention can be applied include electronic medical devices that require accurate fault diagnosis because they involve human life, or management systems used in infrastructure facilities or manufacturing processes.

[0010] [Embodiment] <Example of overall configuration of an image forming apparatus> Figure 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an example of an image forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. The image forming apparatus 100 is a multifunction peripheral / printer / product (MFP) that includes copy, fax, print, and scanner functions. The image forming apparatus 100 is an example of an electronic device. The image forming apparatus 100 may also have a function to save input images or a function to distribute input images. For example, the input image may be a document scanned by the scanner function or an image input by the fax function.

[0011] The image forming apparatus 100 can communicate with external devices such as a PC (Personal Computer) and can operate in response to instructions received from the external device. In this embodiment, the images processed by the image forming apparatus 100 may include not only image data containing images, but also text data that does not contain images.

[0012] The image forming apparatus 100 is a so-called electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus 100 forms an electrostatic latent image by selectively exposing the surface of a charged photoreceptor to light, deposits toner onto the formed electrostatic latent image, transfers the deposited toner onto a recording medium such as paper, and fixes it.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the image forming apparatus 100 includes an operation panel 10, a start switch 20, a control board 30, a reading unit 40, an engine control unit 5, a printer unit 6, paper feed cassettes 7A and 7B, a transport unit 8, and a power supply unit 1. The control board 30, engine control unit 5, printer unit 6, paper feed cassettes 7A and 7B, and transport unit 8 are located inside the image forming apparatus 100, but Figure 1 shows a transparent view of the inside.

[0014] The control panel 10 accepts various inputs in response to user operations and displays various information on a display unit (not shown). For example, the information displayed on the control panel 10 may include information indicating the operation that was accepted, information indicating the operating status of the image forming apparatus 100, or information indicating the settings status of the image forming apparatus 100.

[0015] For example, the control panel 10 may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) with touch panel functionality. Alternatively, the control panel 10 may include an organic electro-luminescence (EL) display with touch panel functionality. Furthermore, in addition to the display device with touch panel functionality, the control panel 10 may have at least one of the following: an operation unit such as hardware keys and a display unit such as a lamp.

[0016] The start switch 20 is a switch that turns on the power to the image forming apparatus 100. The image forming apparatus 100 is turned on when the start switch 20 is pressed while the power is off, and is turned off when the start switch 20 is pressed while it is running. Note that the power of the image forming apparatus 100 is not limited to operation of the start switch 20, but may also be turned on or off based on a start or stop instruction from an external device.

[0017] The control board 30 is equipped with multiple electronic components, including a controller such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that controls the overall operation of the image forming apparatus 100. For example, the electronic components mounted on the control board 30 control drawing, communication, input from the operation panel 10, etc. For example, the electronic components mounted on the control board 30 control the image forming apparatus 100 based on operations received from the operation panel 10 and perform operations such as copying. The electronic components mounted on the control board 30 may also control the image forming apparatus 100 based on instructions received from an external device such as a PC. Furthermore, the electronic components mounted on the control board 30 may cause the image forming apparatus 100 to execute predetermined operations when the start switch 20 is detected to be pressed, or when an abnormality in the image forming apparatus 100 is detected, etc.

[0018] Furthermore, the control board 30 may be equipped with a semiconductor chip such as an SoC (System on Chip) or FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) instead of a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Alternatively, the control board 30 may be equipped with an SoC or FPGA together with the CPU. By equipping the control board 30 with an SoC or FPGA, the size of the control board 30 can be reduced.

[0019] The reading unit 40 includes, for example, an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) 41 and a scanner unit 42. The ADF 41 sequentially transports the document placed on the ADF 41 to the scanner unit 42 and generates image data by optically reading the document. The scanner unit 42 generates image data by optically reading the document placed on a transparent document table.

[0020] Based on the image data generated by the reading unit 40, the engine control unit 5 generates a control signal for controlling the printer unit 6 and the conveyance unit 8. For example, the engine control unit 5 may have the form of a circuit board equipped with a circuit for generating a control signal based on the image data.

[0021] The printer unit 6 functions as an image forming unit for forming an image. The printer unit 6 includes a photosensitive drum 61, a charging unit 62, a writing unit 63, a developing unit 64, a conveyance belt 65, and a fixing unit 66. The charging unit 62 charges the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 61. The writing unit 63 exposes the charged photosensitive drum 61 based on the image data read by the reading unit 40, and writes an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 61. The developing unit 64 develops the latent image written on the photosensitive drum 61 with toner. The conveyance belt 65 conveys a recording medium on which a toner image is formed. The fixing unit 66 fixes the toner on the recording medium to form a toner image on the recording medium.

[0022] The paper feed cassettes 7A and 7B store recording media such as paper before a toner image is formed. For example, the paper feed cassettes 7A and 7B can store recording media with different sizes. In FIG. 1, an example in which two paper feed cassettes 7A and 7B are provided in the image forming apparatus 100 is shown, but the number of paper feed cassettes may be one or three or more.

[0023] The conveyance unit 8 has various rollers and conveys the recording medium stored in the paper feed cassette 7A or the paper feed cassette 7B to the printer unit 6. In FIG. 1, the arrow C indicates the conveyance direction of the recording medium. The power supply device 1 generates a plurality of types of DC voltages based on an AC power source such as a commercial power source, and supplies the generated DC voltages to each component of the image forming apparatus 100.

[0024] The image forming apparatus 100 becomes operational when the user operates the function switching keys on the control panel 10 to select the document box function, copy function, printer function, or facsimile function. The operating mode of the image forming apparatus 100 is document box mode when the document box function is selected, and copy mode when the copy function is selected. Similarly, the operating mode of the image forming apparatus 100 is printer mode when the printer function is selected, and facsimile mode when the facsimile function is selected.

[0025] The following describes an example of image formation operation when the image forming apparatus 100 is set to copy mode. In the following description, an example is given in which the printer unit 6 forms an image using a monochrome electrophotographic method; however, the image may also be formed using a color electrophotographic method or an inkjet method. Furthermore, the image formation method is not limited to these.

[0026] In copy mode, the image forming apparatus 100 reads the image information of each original to be copied using the reading unit 40 and generates image data. The image forming apparatus 100 uniformly charges the outer surface of the photoreceptor drum 61 in the dark using the charging unit 62. Next, the image forming apparatus 100 exposes the photoreceptor drum 61 with light emitted from the writing unit 63, indicated by the dotted arrow A in Figure 1, to form an electrostatic latent image on the outer surface of the photoreceptor drum 61. Arrow B in Figure 1 indicates the rotation direction of the photoreceptor drum 61.

[0027] The image forming apparatus 100 operates the developing unit 64 to make the electrostatic latent image visible using toner. This forms a toner image on the photoreceptor drum 61. Next, the image forming apparatus 100 transfers the toner image formed on the photoreceptor drum 61 to the recording medium on the transport belt 65. Then, the image forming apparatus 100 heats and melts the toner forming the toner image on the recording medium using a heater or the like in the fixing unit 66, fixing the toner image to the recording medium. Finally, the image forming apparatus 100 discharges the recording medium with the toner image fixed on it.

[0028] The operation panel 10 may be controlled by the control board 30, or by a control circuit separate from the control board 30. In that case, the control circuit of the control board 30 and the control circuit of the operation panel 10 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other. The control board 30 then controls the entire image forming apparatus 100, including the operation panel 10.

[0029] <Example of hardware configuration for an image forming apparatus> Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus 100 shown in Figure 1. The image forming apparatus 100 includes a control board 30, a short-range communication circuit 920, an engine control unit 5, an operation panel 10, and a network interface 950.

[0030] For example, the control board 30 includes the CPU 32, which is the main part of the computer, the system MEM-P (memory) 902, the NB (northbridge) 903, and the SB (southbridge) 904. The control board 30 also includes an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 31, a storage unit MEC-C (local memory) 907, an HDD (hard disk drive) controller 908, and a storage unit HD (hard disk) 909. The NB 903 and the ASIC 31 are connected by an AGP (accelerated graphics port) bus 921.

[0031] The CPU 32 is a control unit that performs overall control of the image forming apparatus 100. The NB903 connects the CPU 32 to the MEM-P902, SB904, and AGP bus 921. For example, the NB903 has a memory controller that controls reading and writing to the MEM-P902, a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) master, and an AGP target.

[0032] The MEM-P902 has a ROM 902a and a RAM 902b. The ROM 902a stores programs and data that realize each function of the image forming apparatus 100. The RAM 902b stores programs and data extracted from the ROM 902a and stores drawing data for memory printing.

[0033] The program stored in RAM902b may be transferred from a recording medium (not shown). The recording medium is a CD-ROM, CD-R, or DVD, etc., that is detachably mounted on an input / output interface (not shown) of the image forming apparatus 100. The recording medium contains the program and data as files in an installable or executable format.

[0034] SB904 connects NB903 to PCI devices and peripheral devices. ASIC31 is equipped with image processing hardware and acts as a bridge connecting the AGP bus 921, PCI bus 922, HDD controller 908, and MEM-C907. For example, ASIC31 has a PCI target, an AGP master, an arbiter (ARB) which is the core of ASIC31, and a memory controller that controls MEM-C907. ASIC31 also has multiple DMACs (Direct Memory Access Controllers) that perform image data rotation etc. using hardware logic, and a PCI unit that performs data transfer between the scanner unit 42 and the printer unit 6 via the PCI bus 922.

[0035] Furthermore, the ASIC31 may be connected to a USB (Universal Serial Bus) or IEEE 1394 (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 1394) bus.

[0036] MEM-C907 is local memory used as an image buffer and code buffer for copying. HD909 stores image data, font data used for printing, and forms. The HDD controller 908 controls the reading or writing of data to HD909 under the control of the CPU 32. The AGP bus 921 is a bus interface for graphics accelerator cards proposed to speed up graphics processing. The AGP bus 921 enables graphics accelerator cards to operate at high speed by directly accessing MEM-P902 with high throughput.

[0037] An antenna 920a is connected to the near-field communication circuit 920. The near-field communication circuit 920 is a communication circuit such as NFC (Near Field Communication) or Bluetooth (registered trademark). The network interface 950 performs data communication using a communication network. The network interface 950 is an example of a communication interface that transmits information to the outside. The near-field communication circuit 920 and the network interface 950 are electrically connected to the ASIC 31 via the PCI bus 922. The engine control unit 5 has a scanner unit 42 and a printer unit 6. The scanner unit 42 or the printer unit 6 may include image processing functions such as error diffusion and gamma conversion.

[0038] The operation panel 10 includes a panel display unit 940a and an input panel 940b. The panel display unit 940a includes a display function for the current settings and selection screen of the image forming apparatus 100, and a touch panel function for receiving input from the user. The input panel 940b includes a numeric keypad for receiving setting values ​​for image forming conditions such as density settings, and a start key for receiving a copy start command.

[0039] <Example of functional configuration of an image forming apparatus that functions as an anomaly detection device> Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the image forming apparatus 100 shown in Figure 2. Figure 3 shows an overview of the main functional parts used to determine abnormalities in the image forming apparatus 100. The CPU 32 mounted on the control board 30 controls the copy function, fax function, print function, scanner function, etc. of the image forming apparatus 100, and also functions as an abnormality detection device to determine abnormalities in the image forming apparatus 100.

[0040] The CPU 32 includes a signal input unit 321, an input abnormality determination unit 322, an abnormal value count unit 323, an electrical component abnormality determination unit 324, an operation information holding unit 325, an electrical component interface unit 326, and a control unit 327. The control unit 327 is an example of a cause determination unit. For example, the input abnormality determination unit 322, the abnormal value count unit 323, the electrical component abnormality determination unit 324, the operation information holding unit 325, and the control unit 327 may be implemented by a control program executed by the CPU 32.

[0041] The signal input unit 321 receives various input signals from various parts of the image forming apparatus 100, such as electrical components. For example, the signal input unit 321 periodically monitors detection signals from sensors 67 included in the printer unit 6, detection signals from motor lock detection circuit 81 included in the transport unit 8, or status signals from the ASIC 31 as input signals. In the following, it is assumed that the signal input unit 321 receives various input signals that transition between high and low levels. Note that the number of input signals input to the signal input unit 321 may be as few as one. The signal input unit 321 outputs the logic level of the monitored input signal to the input abnormality determination unit 322.

[0042] The input abnormality determination unit 322 performs an input abnormality determination process to determine whether the logic level of the input signal periodically received by the signal input unit 321 is abnormal for each input signal. For example, the input abnormality determination unit 322 determines that an abnormal level has occurred in the input signal if a low level is input to the signal input unit 321 when the expected value of the input signal is high. Similarly, the input abnormality determination unit 322 determines that an abnormal level has occurred in the input signal if a high level is input to the signal input unit 321 when the expected value of the input signal is low.

[0043] The abnormal value counting unit 323 performs abnormal value counting processing to count the number of times an abnormality has occurred in an input signal, as determined by the input abnormality determination unit 322, for each input signal. The electrical component abnormality determination unit 324 performs electrical component abnormality determination processing to determine abnormalities in various electrical components mounted on the image forming apparatus 100. When the electrical component abnormality determination unit 324 determines an abnormality in any of the electrical components, it outputs information indicating the occurrence of the abnormality and location information indicating the location of the abnormality in the image forming apparatus 100 to the control unit 327. The number of abnormalities counted by the abnormal value counting unit 323 may be reset at a predetermined period.

[0044] The operation information storage unit 325 performs operation information storage processing to store operation information indicating the electrical components that are in operation. For example, the CPU 32, which executes a control program to operate the image forming apparatus 100, stores operation information indicating whether electrical components such as the motor 82, which are operated by the control program, are operating (on or off) in the operation information storage unit 325 each time the operating state changes.

[0045] The electrical component interface unit 326 outputs instructions from the control unit 327 to the electrical components, including the motor 82 included in the transport unit 8, the high-voltage power supply 11 included in the power supply unit 1, and the clutch 83 and solenoid 84 included in the transport unit 8. The electrical component interface unit 326 may also receive operation information from the electrical components, such as the motor 82, the high-voltage power supply 11, the clutch 83 and the solenoid 84, indicating the operating status of these electrical components, and output the received operation information to the control unit 327.

[0046] When the electrical component abnormality detection unit 324 determines that any of the electrical components are abnormal, the control unit 327 performs a cause determination process based on the number of times an abnormality has occurred for each input signal counted by the abnormal value count unit 323 and the operation information of the electrical components held in the operation information holding unit 325. For example, the control unit 327 determines whether an abnormal input signal, whose count value by the abnormal value count unit 323 is equal to or greater than a first threshold, is related to the location where the abnormality occurred.

[0047] If the abnormal input signal is related to the location where the abnormality occurred, the control unit 327 determines that a malfunction or other issue has occurred in the electrical component that the electrical component abnormality determination unit 324 has determined to be abnormal. If the abnormal input signal is not related to the location where the abnormality occurred, the control unit 327 determines that the cause of the electrical component abnormality is noise, and determines that the electrical component indicated by the operation information held in the operation information holding unit 325 at the time of the electrical component abnormality is the source of the noise.

[0048] As a result, the control unit 327 can determine that the cause of the abnormality is noise, and also determine the electrical component that is the source of the noise, if the abnormal input signal is not related to the electrical component determined by the electrical component abnormality determination unit 324. In other words, the control unit 327 can not only determine that the cause of the abnormality is noise, but also estimate the source of the noise.

[0049] Subsequently, the control unit 327 outputs alarm information prompting the replacement of electrical components, etc., depending on whether the abnormal input signal is related to the location of the abnormality. For example, the alarm information is a message displayed on the display unit of the operation panel 10 prompting the user to call a service technician. Alternatively, the alarm information is information such as the location of the abnormality, which is transmitted via the network interface 950 to a service center of the image forming apparatus 100.

[0050] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the CPU 32 in Figure 3, which functions as an abnormality detection device. In other words, Figure 4 shows an example of an abnormality detection method for the image forming apparatus 100. The flow shown in Figure 4 is performed based on the electrical component abnormality detection unit 324 in Figure 3 determining an abnormality in one of the electrical components mounted on the image forming apparatus 100.

[0051] First, in step S10, the control unit 327 obtains the number of times an abnormality has occurred for each input signal from the abnormality value count unit 323, and determines that an input signal whose number of abnormalities is equal to or greater than the first threshold is an abnormal input signal. Next, in step S20, the control unit 327 obtains operation information from the operation information holding unit 325 indicating the electrical components that are operating when an abnormality of the image forming apparatus 100 is determined.

[0052] Next, in step S30, the control unit 327 determines whether the abnormal input signal is related to an electrical component that has been determined to be abnormal by the electrical component abnormality determination unit 324. If the abnormal input signal is related to an electrical component that has been determined to be abnormal, the control unit 327 performs step S40; if the abnormal input signal is not related to an electrical component that has been determined to be abnormal, it performs step S60.

[0053] In step S40, the control unit 327 determines that the cause of the electrical component malfunction is at least one of the location of the malfunction determined by the electrical component malfunction determination unit 324 and the signal input to the location of the malfunction. Next, in step S50, the control unit 327 outputs alarm information corresponding to the determined cause of the malfunction. For example, the control unit 327 outputs alarm information prompting the replacement of the electrical component determined to be malfunctioning, or a component such as a harness connected to the electrical component determined to be malfunctioning, and ends the flow shown in Figure 4.

[0054] Based on the alarm information, the CPU 32 displays, for example, a message prompting the user to call a service technician on the display unit of the control panel 10. The CPU 32 may also transmit the alarm information corresponding to the cause of the detected anomaly to a service center of the image forming apparatus 100 via the network interface 950 shown in Figure 2.

[0055] On the other hand, in step S60, the control unit 327 determines that the cause of the electrical component malfunction is noise. Next, in step S70, the control unit 327 determines that the electrical component that was operating when the electrical component malfunction determination unit 324 determined that there was an electrical component malfunction is the source of the noise. For example, the control unit 327 can determine which electrical component was operating when the electrical component malfunction determination unit 324 determined that there was an electrical component malfunction from the operation information held in the operation information holding unit 325.

[0056] Next, in step S80, the control unit 327 outputs alarm information corresponding to the electrical component that is the source of the noise, as determined in step S70, and terminates the flow shown in Figure 4. For example, the alarm information corresponding to the electrical component that is the source of the noise may be information prompting the replacement of the electrical component that is the source of the noise, or information prompting the confirmation of the grounding status of the electrical component that is the source of the noise and the surrounding area. Similar to step S50, the alarm information corresponding to the electrical component that is the source of the noise may be displayed on the display unit of the operation panel 10, or it may be transmitted to a service center of the image forming apparatus 100 via the network interface 950.

[0057] In this embodiment, when the electrical component abnormality determination unit 324 determines that an abnormality has occurred in an electrical component, the control unit 327 refers to the number of abnormal input signals counted by the abnormal value count unit 323 and the operation information held by the operation information holding unit 325. This allows the control unit 327 to determine whether the cause of the abnormality determined by the electrical component abnormality determination unit 324 is an electrical component that has been determined to be abnormal by the electrical component abnormality determination unit 324, or noise from an electrical component in operation as indicated by the operation information. Therefore, the control unit 327 can not only determine that the cause of the abnormality is noise, but also determine which electrical component is the source of the noise.

[0058] For example, if the abnormal input signal, which is an input signal whose count value by the abnormal value counting unit 323 is equal to or greater than the first threshold, is associated with the location where the abnormality occurred, the control unit 327 determines that a malfunction or other problem has occurred in the electrical component that the electrical component abnormality determination unit 324 has determined to be abnormal. If the abnormal input signal is not associated with the location where the abnormality occurred, the control unit 327 determines that the cause of the electrical component abnormality is noise, and determines that the electrical component indicated by the operation information held in the operation information holding unit 325 at the time of the electrical component abnormality is the source of the noise.

[0059] As a result, if it is determined that the malfunction of an electrical component is caused by noise, the source of the noise can be easily identified, and the time and cost required to restore the image forming apparatus 100 to a normal state can be reduced.

[0060] If the abnormal input signal is related to the location of the abnormality, the control unit 327 displays alarm information on the display unit prompting the replacement of the electrical component determined to be abnormal, or a component such as a harness connected to the electrical component determined to be abnormal. Alternatively, the control unit 327 transmits the alarm information to a service center for the image forming apparatus 100 via the network interface 950.

[0061] If the abnormal input signal is not related to the location of the abnormality, the control unit 327 displays alarm information on the display unit prompting the replacement of the electrical component that was the source of the noise and was operating when the electrical component abnormality determination unit 324 determined that there was an abnormality in the electrical component. Alternatively, the control unit 327 transmits the alarm information to a service center for the image forming apparatus 100 via the network interface 950.

[0062] This allows the user of the image forming apparatus 100, upon seeing the alarm information displayed on the display unit, to request repairs or other maintenance from a service center. Alternatively, service personnel at the service center can directly check the alarm information via the network and travel to the installation site of the image forming apparatus 100 to perform maintenance.

[0063] For example, service technicians performing maintenance do not have to blindly try to identify the source of the noise, thus reducing time and costs and enabling them to restore the image forming apparatus 100 to a normal state.

[0064] Although the present invention has been described above based on various embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the requirements shown in the above embodiments. These points can be modified as long as they do not impair the spirit of the present invention, and can be appropriately determined according to their application. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0065] 1 Power supply 5. Engine Control Unit 6. Printer section 7A, 7B paper feed cassette 8. Conveying section 10. Control Panel 20 Start switch 30 Control board 31 ASIC 32 CPU 40 Reading section 41 ADF 42 Scanner section 67 Sensors 81 Motor Lock Detection Circuit 82 Motor 83 Clutch 84 Solenoid 321 Signal Input Section 322 Input Anomaly Detection Unit 323 Anomaly Value Counting Unit 324 Electrical component abnormality detection unit 325 Operation information holding unit 326 Electrical component interface section 327 Control Unit 100 Image forming apparatus 950 Network Interfaces [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0066] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-138051 Specification

Claims

1. At least one electrical component, An electrical component abnormality determination unit for determining abnormalities in the aforementioned electrical components, An input abnormality determination unit determines an abnormality in the input signal based on the input signal received from the aforementioned electrical component, An abnormal value counting unit that counts the number of times an abnormality in the input signal is determined by the input abnormality determination unit, An operation information holding unit that holds operation information indicating the electrical component in operation, When the electrical component abnormality determination unit determines that an abnormality exists in the electrical component, the determination unit determines, based on the number of abnormal input signals counted by the abnormal value count unit and the operation information held by the operation information holding unit, whether the cause of the abnormality determined by the electrical component abnormality determination unit is the electrical component that the electrical component abnormality determination unit determined to be abnormal, or noise from the electrical component in operation as indicated by the operation information. The determination unit, If an abnormal input signal whose number of abnormalities counted by the abnormal value counting unit is equal to or greater than a first threshold is related to an electrical component for which an abnormality has been determined by the electrical component abnormality determination unit, then it is determined that the cause of the abnormality is the electrical component for which an abnormality has been determined by the electrical component abnormality determination unit. If the abnormal input signal is not related to the electrical component for which the electrical component abnormality determination unit has determined an abnormality, the cause of the abnormality is determined to be noise from the electrical component in operation as indicated in the operation information. electronic equipment.

2. It has a display unit that displays information, The determination unit causes the display unit to display alarm information corresponding to the determined cause of the abnormality. The electronic device according to claim 1.

3. It has a communication interface for transmitting information to the outside, The determination unit transmits alarm information corresponding to the determined cause of the abnormality to an external source by initiating the communication interface. The electronic device according to claim 1.

4. An image forming unit that forms an image, At least one electrical component, An electrical component abnormality determination unit for determining abnormalities in the aforementioned electrical components, An input abnormality determination unit determines an abnormality in the input signal based on the input signal received from the aforementioned electrical component, An abnormal value counting unit that counts the number of times an abnormality in the input signal is determined by the input abnormality determination unit, An operation information holding unit that holds operation information indicating the electrical component in operation, When the electrical component abnormality determination unit determines that an abnormality exists in the electrical component, the determination unit determines, based on the number of abnormal input signals counted by the abnormal value count unit and the operation information held by the operation information holding unit, whether the cause of the abnormality determined by the electrical component abnormality determination unit is the electrical component that the electrical component abnormality determination unit determined to be abnormal, or noise from the electrical component in operation as indicated by the operation information. The determination unit, If an abnormal input signal whose number of abnormalities counted by the abnormal value counting unit is equal to or greater than a first threshold is related to an electrical component for which an abnormality has been determined by the electrical component abnormality determination unit, then it is determined that the cause of the abnormality is the electrical component for which an abnormality has been determined by the electrical component abnormality determination unit. If the abnormal input signal is not related to the electrical component for which the electrical component abnormality determination unit has determined an abnormality, the cause of the abnormality is determined to be noise from the electrical component in operation as indicated in the operation information. Image forming apparatus.

5. A method for determining abnormalities in electronic equipment having at least one electrical component, An electrical component abnormality determination process for determining an abnormality in the aforementioned electrical component, An input abnormality determination process that determines an abnormality in the input signal based on the input signal received from the aforementioned electrical component, An abnormal value counting process that counts the number of times an abnormality in the input signal is detected by the input abnormality detection process, An operation information retention process that retains operation information indicating the electrical component in operation, If an abnormality in an electrical component is determined by the electrical component abnormality determination process, a cause determination process is performed to determine, based on the number of input signal abnormalities counted by the abnormal value counting process and the operation information held by the operation information holding process, whether the cause of the abnormality determined by the electrical component abnormality determination process is the electrical component that was determined to be abnormal by the electrical component abnormality determination process, or noise from an electrical component in operation as indicated by the operation information. The aforementioned factor determination process is: If an abnormal input signal whose number of abnormalities counted by the abnormal value counting process is equal to or greater than a first threshold is related to the electrical component for which an abnormality has been determined by the electrical component abnormality determination process, then it is determined that the cause of the abnormality is the electrical component for which an abnormality has been determined by the electrical component abnormality determination process. If the abnormal input signal is not related to the electrical component that has been determined to be abnormal by the electrical component abnormality determination process, the cause of the abnormality is determined to be noise from the electrical component in operation as indicated in the operation information. Methods for detecting abnormalities in electronic devices.

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