Information processing device and information processing program

Abstract

To suppress leakage of confidential information of an organization as compared with a case where all of operation sound data is transmitted to an external processing apparatus, when the external processing apparatus executes processing related to abnormal sound included in the operation sound data obtained by recording operation of a target apparatus used in the organization.SOLUTION: An operation sound data acquisition processing unit 48 records operation sound of a target apparatus 12 to obtain operation sound data 40, and stores the data in a nonvolatile memory 38. A partial operation sound data acquisition unit 52 cuts out partial operation sound data 42, which is a portion of the operation sound data 40 and contains abnormal sound N detected by an abnormal sound detection unit 50, from the operation sound data 40. A transmission processing unit 54 transmits the partial operation sound data 42 acquired by the partial operation sound data acquisition unit 52 to a data checker. The data checker checks that the partial operation sound data 42 contains no confidential information of an organization, and then transmits the partial operation sound data 42 to an external processing apparatus 16.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0004] , , ,

[0005] ,

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and an information processing program.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Documents 1 to 3 disclose devices that detect the occurrence of a failure or malfunction in a target device based on recorded data obtained by recording the sound emitted by the target device whose failure situation or occurrence of a malfunction is to be grasped. Further, Patent Document 4 discloses a diagnostic device that diagnoses a target device based on recorded data obtained by recording the sound emitted by the target device to be diagnosed, and outputs a warning sound at the start of recording so that the recorded data does not contain secret information.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, consider recording the operation sound of a target device to obtain operation sound data, and when the operation sound data contains an abnormal sound, executing various processes related to the abnormal sound. The processes related to the abnormal sound include, but are not limited to, for example, an abnormality detection process for detecting an abnormality (such as a failure) of the target device based on the abnormal sound, a cause identification process for identifying the cause of the abnormal sound, or an abnormal sound management process for managing (storing) the operation sound data including the abnormal sound.

[0005] In this scenario, a target device is used within an organization (such as a company), and its operating sounds are recorded to obtain operating sound data. If the operating sound data contains abnormal noises, the data may be transmitted to an external processing unit managed outside the organization, and the external processing unit may perform processing related to those abnormal noises. In such a case, if the operating sound data contains sounds representing the organization's confidential information, that confidential information will be leaked outside the organization. Therefore, it is desirable to suppress the leakage of confidential information in such cases. Confidential information is information that is not to be disclosed outside the organization, and includes, for example, confidential information held by the organization, and privacy information concerning individuals within the organization.

[0006] Furthermore, Patent Document 4 discloses a method for outputting a warning sound at the start of recording to prevent confidential information from being included in the recorded data. However, this method results in a warning sound being output every time the operating sounds of the target device are recorded, which can be quite annoying. Therefore, it is desirable to suppress the leakage of confidential information by other methods.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to suppress the leakage of confidential information of an organization when processing abnormal noises contained in operating sound data obtained by recording the operation of a target device used within the organization is performed by an external processing device, compared to when all of the operating sound data is transmitted to the external processing device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The invention according to claim 1 is an information processing device comprising a processor, wherein the processor acquires operation sound data which is data obtained by recording the operation sound of a target device used within an organization, detects abnormal noises from the operation sound data, and transmits partial operation sound data which is a part of the operation sound data including the abnormal noise to a data verifier who, after confirming whether or not the partial operation sound data contains confidential information of the organization, transmits the partial operation sound data to an external processing device managed outside the organization that performs processing related to the abnormal noise, and does not transmit the part of the operation sound data other than the partial operation sound data to the data verifier. The invention according to claim 2 is an information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the processor transmits information for transmitting the partial operation sound data to the external processing device to a verifier terminal used by the data verifier. The invention according to claim 3 is an information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the processor acquires a plurality of operation sound data, acquires a plurality of partial operation sound data which are a part of each operation sound data, assigns a priority order to each of the partial operation sound data indicating the order in which the data verifier should verify it based on at least one of the volume of the abnormal noise, the data capacity of the partial operation sound data, or the time of occurrence of the abnormal noise, and transmits the plurality of partial operation sound data assigned the priority order to the data verifier. The invention according to claim 4 is an information processing device comprising a processor, wherein the processor acquires operation sound data which is data obtained by recording the operation sound of a target device used within an organization, detects abnormal noises from the operation sound data, transmits partial operation sound data which is a part of the operation sound data including the abnormal noise to an external processing device which is managed outside the organization and performs processing related to the abnormal noise, and does not transmit the part of the operation sound data other than the partial operation sound data to the external processing device. The invention according to claim 5 is an information processing device according to claim 4, characterized in that the processor transmits partial operation sound data, which is a part of the operation sound data including the abnormal noise, to an external processing device managed outside the organization and which performs processing related to the abnormal noise, to a data verifier who verifies and transmits the partial operation sound data, and transmits the partial operation sound data to the external processing device in response to a notification from the data verifier who has confirmed that the partial operation sound data does not contain confidential information of the organization. The invention according to claim 6 is an information processing device according to claim 4, characterized in that the processor acquires a plurality of operation sound data, acquires a plurality of partial operation sound data which are a part of each operation sound data, and transmits the partial operation sound data selected from the plurality of partial operation sound data based on at least one of the volume of the abnormal noise, the data capacity of the partial operation sound data, or the time of occurrence of the abnormal noise to the external processing device. The invention according to claim 7 is an information processing device according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that the time length of the partial operating sound data is the time required to identify the cause of the abnormal noise. The invention according to claim 8 is an information processing device according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that the time length of the partial operating sound data is a time corresponding to the type of abnormal sound. The invention according to claim 9 is an information processing program characterized in that it causes a computer to acquire sound data, which is data obtained by recording the operating sounds of a target device used within an organization; detects abnormal sounds from the sound data; checks whether or not the partial sound data, which is a part of the sound data including the abnormal sounds, contains confidential information of the organization, and then transmits the partial sound data to a data verifier who transmits it to an external processing device managed outside the organization and which performs processing related to the abnormal sounds; and does not transmit the part of the sound data other than the partial sound data to the data verifier. The invention according to claim 10 is an information processing program characterized in that it causes a computer to acquire sound data, which is data obtained by recording the operating sounds of a target device used within an organization; detects abnormal noises from the sound data; transmits partial sound data, which is a part of the sound data including the abnormal noises, to an external processing device managed outside the organization and which performs processing related to the abnormal noises; and does not transmit the part of the sound data other than the partial sound data to the external processing device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the invention of claim 1, 4, 9, or 10, when processing of abnormal noises contained in operating sound data obtained by recording the operation of a target device used within an organization is performed by an external processing device, the leakage of confidential information of the organization can be suppressed compared to when all of the operating sound data is transmitted to the external processing device. According to the invention of claim 2, it is possible to prompt the data verifier to transmit partial operating sound data to an external processing device. According to the invention of claim 3, the workload of the data checker can be reduced compared to when the data checker checks all of the multiple partial sound data. According to the invention of claim 5, the leakage of confidential information of an organization can be more effectively suppressed compared to the case where the data checker does not check the partial operating sound data. According to the invention of claim 6, the leakage of confidential information of the organization can be further suppressed compared to the case in which all of the multiple partial operation sound data are transmitted to an external processing device. According to the invention of claim 7, the tissue processing device can identify the cause of the abnormal noise. According to the invention of claim 8, it is possible to transmit operating sound data of a necessary and sufficient duration according to the type of abnormal noise to an external processing device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of the information processing system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a schematic configuration diagram of the target device according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing an example of operation sound data. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing a first example of the content of the notification sent to the data checker. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing a second example of the content of the notification sent to the data checker. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing a third example of the content of the notification sent to the data checker. [Figure 7] It is a first flowchart showing the processing flow of the information processing apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 8] It is a second flowchart showing the processing flow of the information processing apparatus according to this embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an information processing system 10 according to this embodiment. The information processing system 10 includes a target device 12 as an information processing device, a checker terminal 14, and an external organization processing device 16. The target device 12 and the checker terminal 14 are communicably connected by an in-organization communication line 18 such as a LAN (Local Area Network). In addition, the target device 12 and the external organization processing device 16 are communicably connected to each other by a public communication line 20 such as a WAN (Wide Area Network). Furthermore, the checker terminal 14 and the external organization processing device 16 are also communicably connected to each other by the public communication line 20.

[0012] The target device 12 is a device used within a certain organization. In other words, the target device 12 is installed within a certain organization. Here, an organization is a group such as a company, a research institute, a government agency, or a university. A part within the group (for example, one department or section within a company) may be regarded as one organization. In particular, the organization here means an organization having confidential information. As described above, confidential information is information that should not be disclosed outside the organization, and confidential information includes, for example, confidential information possessed by the organization and privacy information regarding persons within the organization.

[0013] The target device 12 in this embodiment is a multifunction device, a printer, or the like, but the target device 12 may be any device as long as it emits an operating sound. Details of the target device 12 will be described later.

[0014] The verifier terminal 14 is a terminal used by a data verifier who checks whether or not the organization's confidential information is included in partial operation sound data (details will be described later), which is a part of the operation sound data obtained by recording the operation sound of the target device 12 and includes abnormal sounds. The data verifier is a person within the organization where the target device 12 is installed. For example, the data verifier may be a general user who uses the target device 12 or an administrator who manages the target device 12.

[0015] The verifier terminal 14 is constituted by, for example, a computer such as a personal computer, a tablet terminal, or a smartphone, but is not limited to these devices. The verifier terminal 14 includes a communication interface for communicating with the target device 12 via the in-organization communication line 18 or for communicating with the out-organization processing device 16 via the public communication line 20, an input interface for receiving an instruction from the data verifier, a display for displaying a screen provided by the target device 12, a memory for storing data, a processor for executing each process, and the like.

[0016] The external processing device 16 is a device that performs processing related to abnormal noises included in the partial operating sound data described above. The processing related to abnormal noises performed by the external processing device 16 includes, but is not limited to, abnormality detection processing to detect abnormalities (such as malfunctions) in the target device 12 based on the abnormal noise, cause identification processing to identify the cause of the abnormal noise, or abnormal noise management processing to manage (save) the partial operating sound data containing the abnormal noise.

[0017] The external processing unit 16 is a device managed outside the organization where the target device 12 is installed. For example, if the target device 12 is a multifunction device or printer, the external processing unit 16 may be a server managed by the manufacturer of the target device 12, but the external processing unit 16 is not limited to this. The external processing unit 16 is configured to include a communication interface for communicating with the target device 12 or the verifier terminal 14 via a public communication line 20, a memory for storing partial operation sound data, and a processor for performing processing related to abnormal sounds contained in the partial operation sound data.

[0018] Since the external processing device 16 is managed outside the organization, there is a risk that the partial operation sound data transmitted to the external processing device 16 may be heard by someone outside the organization. If, for example, the partial operation sound data contains confidential information of the organization (which could also be called confidential audio), such as audio from an internal meeting, conversations between internal personnel, or other sounds occurring within the organization, then such confidential information will be leaked outside the organization. In the information processing system 10 according to this embodiment, as will be described later, the external processing device 16 is made to perform processing on the partial operation sound data of the target device 12 while suppressing the leakage of confidential information outside the organization.

[0019] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of the target device 12.

[0020] The communication interface 30 is configured to include, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card). The communication interface 30 has the function of communicating with the verifier terminal 14 via the internal communication line 18. The communication interface 30 also has the function of communicating with the external processing unit 16 via the public communication line 20.

[0021] The input interface 32 is comprised of, for example, various buttons and a touch panel. The input interface 32 is used to input instructions from a general user of the target device 12 to the target device 12.

[0022] The display 34 is composed of, for example, an LCD panel or an OLED (Electro-Luminescence) panel. Various screens are displayed on the display 34.

[0023] The microphone 36 is installed near the target device 12 and converts the operating sound of the target device 12 into operating sound data, which is an electrical signal.

[0024] The volatile memory 38 includes RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The volatile memory 38 is a memory that cannot retain stored data unless power is supplied to it. In other words, when the power to the target device 12 is turned off and the power supply to the volatile memory 38 is cut off, the data stored in the volatile memory 38 is erased. The volatile memory 38 stores one or more operating sound data 40 of the target device 12 acquired by the microphone 36. The operating sound data 40 includes partial operating sound data 42, which is a part of the operating sound data 40 that includes abnormal noises. The partial operating sound data 42 is extracted from the operating sound data 40 by the processor 46 (specifically the partial operating sound data acquisition unit 52).

[0025] The non-volatile memory 44 is composed of components such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), eMMC (embedded Multi Media Card), or ROM (Read Only Memory). The non-volatile memory 44 is a memory that can retain data even without a power supply. In other words, even if the power to the target device 12 is turned off and the power supply to the non-volatile memory 44 is cut off, the data stored in the non-volatile memory 44 will not be erased. The non-volatile memory 44 stores information processing programs for operating various parts of the target device 12. The information processing programs can also be stored on a computer-readable non-temporary storage medium such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or a CD-ROM. The target device 12 can read and execute information processing programs from such storage media.

[0026] The processor 46 refers to a processor in a broad sense and consists of at least one of the following: a general-purpose processor (e.g., a CPU (Central Processing Unit)) and a dedicated processing unit (e.g., a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a programmable logic device). The processor 46 may not consist of a single processing unit, but rather of multiple processing units located in physically separate locations working together.

[0027] As shown in Figure 2, the processor 46 performs its functions as an operating sound data acquisition unit 48, an abnormal sound detection unit 50, a partial operating sound data acquisition unit 52, and a transmission unit 54, according to an information processing program stored in the non-volatile memory 44. First, the processor 46 authenticates a general user by reading the user's ID card or by other means. Then, upon receiving a processing request from the general user (for example, a print job), the processor 46 executes the processing related to the processing request, while the operating sound data acquisition unit 48, the abnormal sound detection unit 50, the partial operating sound data acquisition unit 52, and the transmission unit 54 sequentially execute their respective processes.

[0028] When the target device 12 starts operating (in this embodiment, when it starts processing related to the processing request), the operation sound data acquisition processing unit 48 records the operation sound of the target device 12 using the microphone 36 and acquires operation sound data 40. The operation sound data acquisition processing unit 48 stores the acquired operation sound data 40 in the volatile memory 38. Thus, in this embodiment, the operation sound data acquisition processing unit 48 acquires operation sound data 40 and stores it in the volatile memory 38 each time the target device 12 operates. An example of operation sound data 40 is shown in Figure 3.

[0029] The abnormal noise detection unit 50 detects abnormal noise N from the operating sound data 40. Various methods can be used to detect abnormal noise N. For example, normal operating sound data when the target device 12 is operating normally can be acquired in advance and stored in the non-volatile memory 44, and abnormal noise N can be detected by comparing the operating sound data 40 with the normal operating sound data. Alternatively, abnormal noise N can be detected by inputting the operating sound data 40 into a learning device that has been sufficiently trained to detect abnormal noise from the operating sound data 40.

[0030] The abnormal noise detection unit 50 detects not only whether or not the operating sound data 40 contains abnormal noise N, but also the timing (time of occurrence) of the abnormal noise N. The timing of the occurrence of abnormal noise N can be expressed, for example, as time from the start of the operating sound data 40.

[0031] The abnormal noises N included in the operating sound data 40 come in various types depending on how they are generated. For example, there are periodic abnormal noises that occur periodically, irregular abnormal noises that occur irregularly, continuous abnormal noises that occur in succession, or single abnormal noises that occur only once, as shown in Figure 3. The abnormal noise detection unit 50 can identify the type of abnormal noise N included in the operating sound data 40 based on the number of abnormal noises N included in the operating sound data 40 and the time interval between the occurrences of the abnormal noises N.

[0032] The abnormal noise detection unit 50 should detect the abnormal noise N from the operation sound data 40 at the same time (in other words, in real time) as the operation sound data acquisition processing unit 48 acquires the operation sound data 40.

[0033] The partial sound data acquisition unit 52 extracts partial sound data 42 from the sound data 40, which is a portion of the sound data 40 that includes the abnormal sound N detected by the abnormal sound detection unit 50. In this embodiment, the partial sound data acquisition unit 52 acquires partial sound data 42 for a predetermined time length T from the timing of the occurrence of the abnormal sound N. For example, in the example in Figure 3, the portion for a time length T from the timing t1 of the first abnormal sound N included in the sound data 40 is acquired as partial sound data 42.

[0034] The duration T of the partial operating sound data 42 may be predetermined by the administrator of the target device 12 or the like. From the standpoint of preventing the leakage of confidential organizational information, it is preferable for the duration T to be as short as possible. However, if it is too short, the external processing device 16 may not be able to adequately perform the cause identification process to identify the cause of the abnormal noise N. Therefore, the duration T should be the time necessary (more preferably, a necessary and sufficient time) to identify the cause of the abnormal noise N contained in the partial operating sound data 42.

[0035] The time required to identify the cause of the abnormal noise N contained in the partial operating sound data 42 may vary depending on the type of abnormal noise contained in the partial operating sound data 42. For example, for periodic abnormal noises, it is preferable that the partial operating sound data 42 contains abnormal noise N for multiple periods, so the time length T should be set to a time that includes multiple periods. For example, if periodic abnormal noises occur at 1-second intervals, the time length T can be set to about 8 seconds (8 periods). On the other hand, irregular abnormal noises, continuous abnormal noises, and single abnormal noises do not have periodicity, so the time length T can be set to a shorter time than for periodic abnormal noises, for example, about 1 second. Thus, the time length T of the partial operating sound data 42 should be a time that corresponds to the type of abnormal noise N contained in the operating sound data 40.

[0036] A time length table is prepared in advance and stored in the non-volatile memory 44, which associates the type of abnormal noise N included in the operating sound data 40 with the time length T of the partial operating sound data 42. The partial operating sound data acquisition unit 52 identifies the time length T based on the type of abnormal noise N included in the operating sound data 40 identified by the abnormal noise detection unit 50 and the said time length table. The partial operating sound data acquisition unit 52 then acquires the partial operating sound data 42 with the identified time length T.

[0037] In addition, there may be cases where partial operation sound data 42 with a predetermined time length T cannot be obtained, such as when the duration of the operation sound data 40 is short. In such cases, the partial operation sound data acquisition unit 52 may use the period from the timing of the occurrence of the abnormal noise N to the end of the operation sound data 40 as partial operation sound data 42.

[0038] The transmission processing unit 54 transmits the partial operation sound data 42 acquired by the partial operation sound data acquisition unit 52 to the data verifier. As described above, the data verifier may be a general user who entered a processing request into the target device 12, or an administrator who manages the target device 12. The data verifier confirms whether the partial operation sound data 42 contains confidential information of the organization, and then transmits the partial operation sound data 42 to the external processing unit 16. On the other hand, the transmission processing unit 54 does not transmit to the data verifier any part of the operation sound data 40 acquired by the operation sound data acquisition processing unit 48 other than the partial operation sound data 42. In other words, in this embodiment, the part of the operation sound data 40 other than the partial operation sound data 42 does not leave the target device 12.

[0039] One way of transmitting the partial operation sound data 42 to the data verifier is to transmit the partial operation sound data 42 to the verifier terminal 14 used by the data administrator. The transmission processing unit 54 can transmit a notification containing the partial operation sound data 42 to the verifier terminal 14. In this embodiment, the notification is an email with the partial operation sound data 42 attached as a file, which is sent to the data verifier. The notification may be in a form other than email.

[0040] When the data verifier receives the email on the verifier terminal 14, the verifier terminal 14 receives the partial operation sound data 42. If the data verifier is a regular user, a user database (DB) containing a unique user ID and the user's email address is stored on a server accessible from the target device 12. The transmission processing unit 54 can then retrieve the regular user's email address based on the user ID obtained when authenticating the regular user and the user database. Similarly, if the data verifier is an administrator, the administrator's email address is registered on a server accessible from the target device 12. The transmission processing unit 54 can then retrieve the administrator's email address by accessing the server.

[0041] Figure 4 shows an example of the content of a notification sent to the data verifier. The body of the email notification shown in Figure 4 includes the fact that an abnormal noise N occurred in the target device 12, a request to confirm whether the attached partial operation sound data 42 contains the organization's confidential information, a request to send the partial operation sound data 42 to the external processing device 16 if it does not contain the organization's confidential information, and the destination of the partial operation sound data 42 (such as the email address or registered URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of the external processing device 16). In other words, the notification sent to the data verifier is information to allow the data verifier to confirm the partial operation sound data 42 and then send the partial operation sound data 42 to the external processing device 16.

[0042] The data verifier listens to the attached partial sound data 42 according to the email sent from the transmission processing unit 54 to check whether or not the partial sound data 42 contains any confidential information of the organization. If the partial sound data 42 does not contain any confidential information of the organization, the verifier terminal 14 sends the partial sound data 42 to the recipient specified in the email (i.e., the external processing unit 16).

[0043] Upon receiving the partial operating sound data 42, the external processing unit 16 performs processing on the abnormal noise N contained in the partial operating sound data 42. The results of this processing are notified to a service technician or other person who will be performing maintenance on the target device 12.

[0044] Another way of sending the partial sound data 42 to the data verifier is to notify the data administrator of the link destination (storage location) of the partial sound data 42, and have the data administrator access the link destination to obtain (download) the partial sound data 42. For example, the transmission processing unit 54 sends a notification (e.g., email) to the data verifier indicating the link destination of the partial sound data 42 stored in the volatile memory 38. Alternatively, the transmission processing unit 54 sends the partial sound data 42 to an internal server managed within the organization for storage, and then sends information indicating the link destination of the partial sound data 42 stored on the internal server to the data verifier. Based on the information indicating the link destination, the data verifier downloads the partial sound data 42 to the verifier terminal 14.

[0045] In the embodiment described above, the transmission processing unit 54 transmits the partial operation sound data 42 to the data verifier, who then transmits the partial operation sound data 42 to the external processing unit 16. However, the transmission processing unit 54 may also directly transmit the partial operation sound data 42 to the external processing unit 16. Of course, even in this case, the transmission processing unit 54 does not transmit to the external processing unit 16 any portion of the operation sound data 40 acquired by the operation sound data acquisition processing unit 48 other than the partial operation sound data 42.

[0046] Furthermore, the transmission processing unit 54 may also transmit the partial operation sound data 42 to the data verifier, and in response to a notification from the data verifier confirming that the partial operation sound data 42 does not contain the organization's confidential information, transmit the partial operation sound data 42 to the external processing unit 16. For example, the transmission processing unit 54 sends a notification to the data verifier with the contents shown in Figure 5. The notification includes that an abnormal sound N occurred in the target device 12, a request to confirm whether the attached partial operation sound data 42 contains the organization's confidential information, a request for a reply if the partial operation sound data 42 does not contain the organization's confidential information, and a link to the partial operation sound data 42. Incidentally, "\\aaa.bb.com" in the link indicates a folder path within the target device 12. Alternatively, the notification may also be an email with the partial operation sound data 42 attached sent to the data verifier.

[0047] The data verifier downloads the partial sound data 42 from the link included in the notification to the verifier terminal 14 and verifies the partial sound data 42. If the data verifier determines that the partial sound data 42 does not contain the organization's confidential information, the data verifier operates the send button included in the notification. When the send button is operated, a verification notification is sent from the verifier terminal 14 to the target device 12. The transmission processing unit 54, upon receiving the verification notification, transmits the partial sound data 42 to the external processing unit 16. On the other hand, if the data verifier determines that the partial sound data 42 contains the organization's confidential information, the data verifier operates the cancel button included in the notification. When the cancel button is operated, a cancellation notification is sent from the verifier terminal 14 to the target device 12. When the transmission processing unit 54 receives the cancellation notification, it does not transmit the partial sound data 42 to the external processing unit 16.

[0048] As described above, in this embodiment, the transmission processing unit 54 transmits only the partial sound data 42, which is a part of the sound data 40, to the data verifier or the external processing unit 16, rather than the entire sound data 40. Therefore, at least compared to the case where the entire sound data 40 is transmitted to the data verifier or the external processing unit 16, the leakage of confidential information of the organization contained in the sound data 40 to outside the organization is suppressed. For example, even if confidential information of the organization is contained in a part of the sound data 40 other than the partial sound data 42, if the partial sound data 42 does not contain confidential information of the organization, that confidential information will not be leaked to outside the organization. In particular, by having the data verifier verify the partial sound data 42 before it is sent to the external processing unit 16, the leakage of confidential information of the organization contained in the sound data 40 to outside the organization is further suppressed.

[0049] Furthermore, since the operating sound data 40 is stored in the volatile memory 38, the operating sound data 40 will be erased when the power to the target device 12 is turned off. This prevents the operating sound data 40 from leaking outside the target device 12, especially outside the tissue.

[0050] As described above, in this embodiment, the operation sound data acquisition processing unit 48 acquires operation sound data 40 each time the target device 12 operates. Therefore, if the target device 12 malfunctions, a notification will be sent to the data administrator (general user or administrator) each time the target device 12 operates. In that case, the administrator in particular will have to check the partial operation sound data 42 each time a notification arrives, which can be a great deal of trouble.

[0051] In light of this, it is preferable that the partial operation sound data acquisition unit 52 stores the acquired partial operation sound data 42 in the volatile memory 38, and that the transmission processing unit 54, when it meets predetermined transmission conditions, assigns a priority to the multiple partial operation sound data 42 stored in the volatile memory 38, and then sends the prioritized multiple partial operation sound data 42 to the data verifier.

[0052] In this case as well, the operation sound data acquisition processing unit 48 acquires operation sound data 40 and stores it in the volatile memory 38 each time the target device 12 operates, the abnormal noise detection unit 50 detects abnormal noise N from the operation sound data 40, and the partial operation sound data acquisition unit 52 acquires partial operation sound data 42 containing abnormal noise N from the operation sound data 40, just as in the above embodiment. However, the transmission processing unit 54 does not immediately transmit the partial operation sound data 42 to the data verifier, but keeps the partial operation sound data 42 in the volatile memory 38 until the transmission conditions are met. As a result, multiple partial operation sound data 42 can be acquired by the partial operation sound data acquisition unit 52 and multiple partial operation sound data 42 can be stored in the volatile memory 38 before the transmission conditions are met.

[0053] The transmission conditions may be predetermined by the administrator of the target device 12 or the like. Examples of transmission conditions include, but are not limited to, the arrival of a predetermined time, or the storage of a predetermined amount (number or data capacity) of partial operation sound data 42 in the volatile memory 38.

[0054] Furthermore, the transmission processing unit 54 assigns priority to the multiple partial operation sound data 42 stored in the volatile memory 38 when the transmission conditions are met. The priority here indicates the order in which the data checker should check the data. Specifically, the transmission processing unit 54 assigns priority to each partial operation sound data 42 based on at least one of the volume of the abnormal noise N contained in the partial operation sound data 42, the data capacity of the partial operation sound data 42, or the time of occurrence of the abnormal noise N.

[0055] The volume of the abnormal noise N may be the peak-to-peak sound pressure level P of the abnormal noise N in the sound waveform of the partial operating sound data 42 (see Figure 3). Generally, the larger the volume (sound pressure level P) of the abnormal noise N, the easier it is to process the abnormal noise N, so a larger volume of abnormal noise N tends to result in a higher priority.

[0056] In this embodiment, the operating sound data 40 or partial operating sound data 42 is in a specific file format (e.g., WAV format). Therefore, the data capacity of the partial operating sound data 42 may indicate the time length T of the partial operating sound data 42. Generally, the longer the time length T, the easier it is to process the abnormal sound N, so a longer time length T tends to result in a higher priority.

[0057] Furthermore, it is often desirable to prioritize processing related to abnormal noise N that occurred earlier in time. Therefore, the earlier the time of occurrence of abnormal noise N, the higher its priority will be.

[0058] The transmission processing unit 54 may assign a priority to each partial operation sound data 42 by considering two or more of the following: the volume of the abnormal noise N included in the partial operation sound data 42, the data capacity of the partial operation sound data 42, and the time of occurrence of the abnormal noise N. In that case, the priority of each partial operation sound data 42 may be determined by considering the weights assigned to each parameter: the volume of the abnormal noise N, the data capacity of the partial operation sound data 42, and the time of occurrence of the abnormal noise N.

[0059] The transmission processing unit 54 sends a plurality of prioritized partial sound data 42 to the data verifier. For example, the transmission processing unit 54 sends a notification to the data verifier with the contents shown in Figure 6. The notification includes information that an abnormal sound N occurred in the target device 12, a request to confirm whether the attached partial sound data 42 contains confidential information of the organization, a request to send the partial sound data 42 to the external processing unit 16 if the partial sound data 42 does not contain confidential information of the organization, the priority order of the plurality of partial sound data 42 and their links, and information indicating that only one partial sound data 42 needs to be sent to the external processing unit 16. In addition, the notification may also be sent to the verifier terminal 14 with multiple partial sound data 42 attached.

[0060] Based on the notification, the data verifier checks whether the partial sound data 42 contains the organization's confidential information in the order indicated by the priority. If the data verifier confirms that a particular partial sound data 42 does not contain confidential information, they do not need to check the subsequent partial sound data 42 of the priority order. In other words, the workload for the data verifier is reduced compared to when the partial sound data 42 are transmitted individually. The data verifier transmits the partial sound data 42 that they have confirmed do not contain confidential information to the external processing unit 16.

[0061] Furthermore, even in the embodiment where the partial operation sound data 42 is transmitted directly from the target device 12 to the external processing device 16, if the target device 12 malfunctions, the partial operation sound data 42 will be transmitted to the external processing device 16 every time the target device 12 operates. If the partial operation sound data 42 is transmitted to the external processing device 16 every time the target device 12 operates, it can be said that there is a high possibility that the partial operation sound data 42 containing confidential information of the organization will be transmitted to the external processing device 16.

[0062] In view of this, the partial operation sound data acquisition unit 52 stores the acquired partial operation sound data 42 in the volatile memory 38, and the transmission processing unit 54, when it meets predetermined transmission conditions, assigns a priority to the multiple partial operation sound data 42 stored in the volatile memory 38, and transmits the partial operation sound data 42 selected from the multiple partial operation sound data 42 according to the priority to the external processing unit 16.

[0063] Specifically, each time the target device 12 operates, the operation sound data acquisition processing unit 48 acquires operation sound data 40 and stores it in the volatile memory 38. The abnormal noise detection unit 50 detects abnormal noise N from the operation sound data 40, and the partial operation sound data acquisition unit 52 acquires partial operation sound data 42, which includes abnormal noise N, from the operation sound data 40. The transmission processing unit 54 does not immediately transmit the partial operation sound data 42 to the data verifier, but keeps the partial operation sound data 42 in the volatile memory 38 until the transmission conditions are met. As a result, multiple partial operation sound data 42 can be acquired by the partial operation sound data acquisition unit 52 and multiple partial operation sound data 42 can be stored in the volatile memory 38 before the transmission conditions are met.

[0064] When the transmission conditions are met, the transmission processing unit 54 assigns a priority to each partial operation sound data 42 based on at least one of the volume of the abnormal noise N contained in the partial operation sound data 42, the data capacity of the partial operation sound data 42, or the time of occurrence of the abnormal noise N, as described above. The priority here indicates the order in which the transmission processing unit 54 should transmit to the external processing unit 16. Then, the transmission processing unit 54 transmits to the external processing unit 16 the partial operation sound data 42 selected from the multiple partial operation sound data 42 stored in the volatile memory 38 based on the priority assigned to each partial operation sound data 42. Typically, the transmission processing unit 54 transmits only the partial operation sound data 42 with priority 1 to the external processing unit 16.

[0065] In this case as well, the transmission processing unit 54 may send a plurality of prioritized partial sound data 42 to the data verifier, and in response to a notification from the data verifier indicating which partial sound data 42 should be sent to the external processing unit 16, after the data verifier has confirmed that one or more partial sound data 42 do not contain the organization's confidential information, the transmission processing unit 54 may send the instructed partial sound data 42 to the external processing unit 16, according to the priority assigned to each partial sound data 42.

[0066] The configuration of the information processing system 10 according to this embodiment is as described above. The processing flow of the target device 12 according to this embodiment will now be explained according to the flowcharts shown in Figures 7 and 8.

[0067] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the target device 12 in an embodiment in which the transmission processing unit 54 transmits partial operation sound data 42 to the data verifier, and the data verifier transmits the partial operation sound data 42 to the external processing device 16.

[0068] In step S10, when the processor 46 receives a processing request from a general user and starts processing related to the processing request, the operating sound data acquisition processing unit 48 records the operating sound of the target device 12, acquires operating sound data 40, and stores it in the volatile memory 38.

[0069] In step S12, the abnormal noise detection unit 50 determines whether or not abnormal noise N is included in the operating sound data 40 acquired in step S10. If abnormal noise N is detected in the operating sound data 40, the process proceeds to step S14; otherwise, step S14 is bypassed and the process proceeds to step S16.

[0070] In step S14, the partial operating sound data acquisition unit 52 extracts the partial operating sound data 42, which includes the abnormal sound N detected in step S12, from the operating sound data 40 and stores it in the volatile memory 38.

[0071] In step S16, the transmission processing unit 54 determines whether the transmission conditions have been met. If the transmission conditions have not been met, the process returns to step S10, and if the target device 12 starts operating again, the process from steps S10 to S16 is repeated. As a result, multiple partial operation sound data 42 can be stored in the volatile memory 38. The transmission processing unit 54 may also immediately transmit the partial operation sound data 42 to the data verifier when it has acquired it.

[0072] In step S18, the transmission processing unit 54 determines whether or not the partial operation sound data 42 is stored in the volatile memory 38. If the transmission condition has been met at a predetermined time, and the target device 12 has not operated even once up to that predetermined time, and therefore the partial operation sound data 42 is not stored in the volatile memory 38, the process terminates. If the partial operation sound data 42 is stored in the volatile memory 38, the process proceeds to step S20.

[0073] In step S20, the transmission processing unit 54 assigns priority to each of the partial operation sound data 42 stored in the volatile memory 38 based on at least one of the volume of the abnormal noise N included in the partial operation sound data 42, the data capacity of the partial operation sound data 42, or the time of occurrence of the abnormal noise N.

[0074] In step S22, the transmission processing unit 54 sends a plurality of prioritized partial sound data 42 to the data verifier. The data verifier then checks whether the partial sound data 42 contain the organization's confidential information in the order indicated by the priority, and sends the partial sound data 42 that does not contain confidential information to the external processing unit 16.

[0075] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the target device 12 in an embodiment in which the transmission processing unit 54 directly transmits partial operation sound data 42 to the external processing unit 16. The processing in steps S40 to S50 of the flowchart shown in Figure 8 is the same as the processing in steps S10 to S20 of the flowchart shown in Figure 7, so redundant explanations are omitted here.

[0076] In step S52, the transmission processing unit 54 transmits to the external processing unit 16 the partial sound data 42 selected from among the multiple partial sound data 42 stored in the volatile memory 38 based on the priority assigned to each partial sound data 42 in step S50. Typically, the transmission processing unit 54 transmits only the partial sound data 42 with priority 1 to the external processing unit 16.

[0077] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0078] For example, in the above embodiment, the target device 12 is an information processing device, and the target device 12 has the functions of an operating sound data acquisition processing unit 48, an abnormal sound detection unit 50, a partial operating sound data acquisition unit 52, and a transmission processing unit 54. However, these functions may be possessed by other devices other than the target device 12. For example, an internal server managed within the organization, which is communicably connected to the target device 12, may have the functions of an operating sound data acquisition processing unit 48, an abnormal sound detection unit 50, a partial operating sound data acquisition unit 52, and a transmission processing unit 54. In this case, the internal server corresponds to an information processing device. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0079] 10 Information processing system, 12 Target device, 14 Verifier terminal, 16 External processing device, 18 Internal communication line, 20 Public communication line, 30 Communication interface, 32 Input interface, 34 Display, 36 Microphone, 38 Volatile memory, 40 Operating sound data, 42 Partial operating sound data, 44 Non-volatile memory, 46 Processor, 48 Operating sound data acquisition processing unit, 50 Abnormal sound detection unit, 52 Partial operating sound data acquisition unit, 54 Transmission processing unit, N Abnormal sound, T Duration, P Sound pressure level.

Claims

1. Equipped with a processor, The aforementioned processor, We acquire operating sound data, which is data obtained by recording the operating sounds of the target equipment used within the organization. Abnormal noises are detected from the aforementioned operating sound data. The partial sound data, which is a portion of the operation sound data including the aforementioned abnormal noise, is transmitted to a data verifier who, after confirming whether or not the partial sound data contains confidential information of the organization, transmits the partial sound data to an external processing device managed outside the organization that performs processing related to the abnormal noise. The portion of the operation sound data other than the partial sound data is not transmitted to the data verifier. An information processing device characterized by the following:

2. The aforementioned processor, The information for transmitting the aforementioned partial operating sound data to the external processing device is transmitted to the verifier terminal used by the data verifier. The information processing apparatus according to feature 1.

3. The aforementioned processor, Multiple operation sound data are acquired, and multiple partial operation sound data, which are parts of each operation sound data, Based on at least one of the volume of the abnormal noise, the data size of the partial operation sound data, or the time of occurrence of the abnormal noise, a priority order indicating the order in which the data checker should check each of the partial operation sound data is assigned to each of the partial operation sound data. Multiple partial operation sound data assigned the aforementioned priority are transmitted to the data verifier. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

4. Equipped with a processor, The aforementioned processor, We acquire operating sound data, which is data obtained by recording the operating sounds of the target equipment used within the organization. Abnormal noises are detected from the aforementioned operating sound data. The partial operation sound data, which is a part of the operation sound data including the aforementioned abnormal noise, is transmitted to an external processing device managed outside the organization and which performs processing related to the aforementioned abnormal noise, while the portion of the operation sound data other than the partial operation sound data is not transmitted to the external processing device. An information processing device characterized by the following:

5. The aforementioned processor, The partial operation sound data, which is a part of the operation sound data including the aforementioned abnormal noise, is transmitted to an external processing device managed outside the organization and which performs processing related to the aforementioned abnormal noise, and is sent to a data verifier who verifies the partial operation sound data before transmitting it. In response to a notification from the data verifier confirming that the partial operation sound data does not contain any confidential information of the organization, the partial operation sound data is transmitted to the external processing unit. The information processing apparatus according to feature 4.

6. The aforementioned processor, Multiple operation sound data are acquired, and multiple partial operation sound data, which are parts of each operation sound data, From among the multiple partial operation sound data, the partial operation sound data selected based on at least one of the volume of the abnormal noise, the data capacity of the partial operation sound data, or the time of occurrence of the abnormal noise is transmitted to the external processing device. The information processing apparatus according to feature 4.

7. The duration of the aforementioned partial operating sound data is the time required to identify the cause of the abnormal noise. The information processing apparatus according to feature 1 or 4.

8. The duration of the aforementioned partial operating sound data is the duration corresponding to the type of abnormal sound. The information processing apparatus according to feature 1 or 4.

9. On the computer, The organization obtains operating sound data, which is data obtained by recording the operating sounds of the target equipment used within the organization. Abnormal noises are detected from the aforementioned operating sound data. The partial sound data, which is a portion of the operation sound data including the aforementioned abnormal noise, is sent to a data verifier who, after confirming whether or not the partial sound data contains confidential information of the organization, is managed outside the organization and performs processing related to the abnormal noise, while the portion of the operation sound data other than the partial sound data is not sent to the data verifier. An information processing program characterized by the following features.

10. On the computer, The organization obtains operating sound data, which is data obtained by recording the operating sounds of the target equipment used within the organization. Abnormal noises are detected from the aforementioned operating sound data. The partial operation sound data, which is a portion of the operation sound data including the aforementioned abnormal noise, is transmitted to an external processing device managed outside the organization and which performs processing related to the abnormal noise, while the portion of the operation sound data other than the partial operation sound data is not transmitted to the external processing device. An information processing program characterized by the following features.

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