JPH09297693A - Electronic equipment and fault factor analytic method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To specify the position of a fault by collecting the information of the fault. SOLUTION: A microcomputer 14 of a video camera 1 installed at home H detects the defect of an operation, generates prescribed fault analytic data based on the detected result and outputs these data through a home bus 6 and a telephone line 7 to a fault discriminating device 5 installed at a center S. The fault discriminating device 5 analyzes the fault analytic data and transfers a fault diagnostic program for getting further detailed information to the video camera 1. The microcomputer 14 transmits fault discrimination data provided by executing the fault diagnostic program to the fault discriminating device 5. The fault discrimination data are analyzed by a fault position discriminating circuit 22 at the fault discriminating device 5, and the analyzed result is displayed on a CRT 21. Thus, the monitoring person at the center S grasps the state of the broken video camera and specifies the position of the fault.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic device and a failure cause analysis method, and more particularly to executing a transferred predetermined failure diagnosis program and outputting failure determination data for specifying a failure cause. The present invention relates to an electronic device and a failure cause analysis method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Normally, when repairing an electronic device such as a broken home electric appliance, the broken home electric appliance is brought to a repair window such as a predetermined service center or the manufacturer is requested to carry out on-site repair.

[0003] Then, after the repair person investigates the home electric appliance and identifies the faulty part, a repair part is ordered as needed.

[0004]

However, in the conventional repair work, since the repair person investigates the broken home electric appliance based on the small amount of information obtained from the user (user of the home electric appliance), originally, There is a problem that unnecessary investigation, for example, investigation of a normal part may be performed, and there is a problem that it takes an excessive amount of time to specify a failure point.

Further, even when a defective part is specified, for example, when it takes time to obtain the part, it is difficult to quickly perform repair work.

The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and it is possible to specify a failure location by executing a predetermined failure diagnosis program in advance.

[0007]

According to another aspect of the present invention, an electronic device identifies a failure cause by executing a failure diagnosis program and a receiving means for receiving a failure diagnosis program for analyzing a failure cause. It is characterized by comprising: a generation unit for generating the failure determination data for the above, and an output unit for outputting the generated failure determination data to the communication line.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a failure cause analysis method, wherein a step of receiving a failure diagnosis program for analyzing the cause of the failure and a failure judgment data for specifying the cause of the failure by executing the failure diagnosis program. And a step of outputting the generated failure determination data to the communication line.

In the electronic device according to the first aspect, the receiving means receives the failure diagnosis program for analyzing the cause of the failure, and the generating means executes the failure diagnosis program to identify the cause of the failure. Failure determination data is generated, and the output means outputs the generated failure determination data to the communication line.

In the failure cause analysis method according to the fifth aspect, a failure diagnosis program for analyzing the cause of the failure is received, and by executing the failure diagnosis program,
Failure judgment data for specifying the cause of failure is generated,
The generated failure determination data is output to the communication line.

[0011]

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of a failure cause analysis system to which an electronic device of the present invention is applied.

Home appliances installed in the home H (video camera 1, personal computer 2, TV (television) receiver 3, and refrigerator 4) are connected to the home bus 6 and the communication telephone line 7 as needed. It can be connected to the failure determination device 5 installed in the center S. That is, for example, when a failure occurs in the video camera 1 installed in the home H, the user of the home H connects the video camera 1 to the home bus 6.

As a result, predetermined data are mutually exchanged between the video camera 1 and the failure determination device 5 of the center S, and the monitoring staff of the center S can specify the cause of the failure of the video camera 1. It is done like this.

Similarly, when a failure occurs in another home electric appliance (personal computer 2, television receiver 3, and refrigerator 4), the user of the home H sets the predetermined home electric appliance in which the failure has occurred to the home bus. 6, so that predetermined data can be exchanged between the failure determination device 5 of the center S and a predetermined home electric appliance. It should be noted that household appliances, such as T
The V receiver 3 and the refrigerator 4 may be connected to the home bus 6 in advance.

An image of a predetermined subject is input to the CCD camera 13 via the lens 11 of the video camera 1 and the adjusting circuit 12 for changing the optical system thereof. The CCD camera 13 generates a video signal corresponding to the video of the subject and supplies it to the signal processing circuit 15.

The signal processing circuit 15 subjects the video signal supplied from the CCD camera 13 to predetermined signal processing, and outputs a VCR (Video Cassette Record) (not shown) via the output circuit 16.
It is designed to output to a recording device such as rder).

The microcomputer 14 performs various controls of the video camera 1, for example, the adjustment circuit 12 to realize an optical system corresponding to a subject, and the signal processing circuit 15.
On the other hand, control such as instructing predetermined signal processing is performed. Further, the defective operation of the video camera 1 is detected, and based on the detection result, the failure analysis data representing the failure state is generated, and the signal processing circuit 15 and the transmission / reception circuit 1 are generated.
It outputs to the home bus 6 via 7. Further, the failure diagnosis program input from the home bus 6 via the transmission / reception circuit 17 and the signal processing circuit 17 is executed, and the failure determination data generated as a result is sent to the home via the signal processing circuit 15 and the transmission / reception circuit 17. The data is output to the bus 6.

These data (fault analysis data, fault diagnosis program, and fault determination data) are exchanged between the video camera 1 and the fault determination device 5 of the center S via the home bus 6 and the telephone line 7. It is done like this.

The failure analysis data or failure determination data transmitted from the video camera 1 is received by the transmission / reception circuit 23 of the failure determination device 5 and supplied to the failure location determination circuit 22.

The failure point determination circuit 22 analyzes the failure analysis data or the failure determination data and outputs the result to the CRT.
21 is displayed. The monitoring staff of the center S selects a failure determination program for obtaining more detailed information according to the analysis result displayed on the CRT 21, and performs a predetermined operation of the failure location determination circuit 22 to perform the failure location determination circuit 22. The failure determination program can be transmitted to the video camera 1 via the transmission / reception circuit 23, the telephone line, and the home bus 7.

The video camera 1 installed in the home H
Similar to the case of the video camera 1, the predetermined failure analysis data, failure determination data, or failure determination program is exchanged between the home electric appliances other than the above and the failure determination device 5.

The communication means between the home H and the center S may be a telephone line or a wire such as an optical fiber cable. Further, it may be wireless such as a mobile communication line.

Next, the processing operation of the failure cause analysis system of FIG. 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

It is assumed that the video camera 1 shown in FIG. 1 has a failure and the user connects the video camera 1 to the home bus 6. At this time, in step S1 (detection means, second generation means) of FIG.
Detects a malfunction of the video camera 1 and, based on the detection result, generates failure analysis data representing a malfunction condition including dump data of a predetermined control buffer and the like.

In subsequent step S2 (notifying means), the microcomputer 14 outputs the failure analysis data to the home bus 6 via the signal processing circuit 15 and the transmission / reception circuit 17. The failure analysis data is received by the transmission / reception circuit 23 of the failure determination device 5 via the home bus 6 and the telephone line 7, and analyzed by the failure location determination circuit 22. The monitoring staff at Center S
Based on the analysis result displayed on the CRT 21,
A failure diagnosis program for obtaining more detailed information is selected, and a predetermined operation for transmission to the video camera 1 is performed.

In the subsequent step S3 (reception means), a predetermined failure diagnosis program is transmitted to the video camera 1 via the telephone line 7 and the home bus 6 in response to this operation. The transmission / reception circuit 17 of the video camera 1 receives the failure diagnosis program and supplies it to the microcomputer 14 via the signal processing circuit 15.

In the next step S4 (generation means), the microcomputer 14 executes a failure diagnosis program to generate failure determination data for specifying a more detailed cause of failure.

Subsequently, in step S5 (output means), the microcomputer 14 outputs the failure determination data to the home bus 6 via the signal processing circuit 15 and the transmission / reception circuit 17. The failure analysis data is for home bus 6 and telephone line 7.
Is transmitted to the failure determination device 5 of the center S via the and analyzed.

In this manner, the failure analysis data, the failure diagnosis program, or the failure determination data is exchanged between the video camera 1 and the failure determination device 5 using the predetermined communication line, whereby the video camera 1 The cause of failure can be specified. Further, by selecting a predetermined failure diagnosis program for each analysis result at the center S and repeatedly executing the processing shown in steps S3 to S5, it is possible to obtain hierarchical information about the cause of failure. ,
The cause of failure can be easily specified.

In the process shown in FIG. 2, the failure analysis data is generated in step S1 and the failure analysis data is transferred in step S2. However, the operation failure is simply detected in step S1 and the failure analysis data is detected in step S2. A predetermined signal may be transmitted to notify that the operation is defective (a failure has occurred). Alternatively, the user may directly inform the surveillance staff of the center S of the situation by telephone or the like.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of another embodiment of the failure cause analysis system to which the electronic equipment of the present invention is applied. In the failure cause analysis system of FIG. 3, parts corresponding to those of FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

The failure cause analysis system shown in FIG.
It is a configuration example in which each home electric appliance installed in the home H shown in FIG. 3 does not have a communication mechanism, and an example in which only the failure diagnosis communication device 32 communicates with the failure determination device 5 installed in the center S. Is.

Household appliances (31-1) installed in the home H
31-n) can be connected to the home bus 6 as required, and the failure diagnosis communication device 3 can be connected via the home bus.
It is designed to be able to connect to 2.

The microcomputer 41 of the electric home appliance 31-1 performs various controls of the electric home appliance 31-1 and also performs a processing circuit 4 for performing essential operations of the electric home appliance 31-1.
The defective operation 2 is detected, and predetermined failure analysis data is generated based on the detection result. In addition, the microcomputer 41 receives from the failure diagnosis communication device 32,
Signal processing circuit 4 via home bus 6 and input / output circuit 44
3 is downloaded to the signal processing circuit and subjected to predetermined processing by the signal processing circuit, and then executed to generate predetermined failure determination data or the signal processing circuit 4
The failure analysis data and the failure determination data are output to the failure diagnosis communication device 32 via the I / O circuit 3, the input / output circuit 44, and the home bus 6.

Although not shown, the other home appliances (31-2 to 31-n) are also configured in the same manner as the home appliance 31-1.

The microcomputer 51 of the failure diagnosis communication circuit 32 is input to the signal processing circuit 52 via the home bus 6 and the input / output circuit 53, and is subjected to predetermined processing in the signal processing circuit 52. The network address of the failure determination device 5 is added to the data, or modulation corresponding to the telephone line 7 is performed, and the failure determination device 5 is transmitted through the signal processing circuit 52, the transmission / reception circuit 54, and the telephone line 7.
It is designed to output to. In addition, the failure diagnosis program received via the telephone line 7, the transmission / reception circuit 54, and the signal processing circuit 52 is passed through the signal processing circuit 52, the input / output circuit 53, and the home bus 6 to a predetermined home electric appliance 31-. 1 to 31-n.

The processing operation of the failure cause analysis system of FIG. 3 is the same as the processing shown in the flow chart of FIG. 2, so its explanation is omitted. In the failure cause analysis system shown in FIG. 3, the failure determination device 5 in steps S2, S3, and S5 of FIG.
The communication process with the is executed by the failure diagnosis communication device 32. Further, in the processing of step S4, the failure diagnosis communication device 32 further executes the failure diagnosis program transferred from the failure determination device 5 on the predetermined home electric appliances 31-1 to 31-3.
1-n to execute. Then, the failure determination data of the execution result has predetermined home electric appliances 31-1 to 3
1-n is transferred to the failure diagnosis communication device 32, and
It is output to the failure determination device 5 via the telephone line 7.

Although the fault diagnosis communication device 32 has only the communication function, it may be possible to perform a simple fault diagnosis. In that case, when a failure occurs in the home electric appliances 31-1 to 31-n, a simple failure diagnosis program is read from the predetermined RAM of the microcomputer 51 and executed on the predetermined home electric appliances 31-1 to 31-n. Then, the result (fault determination data) is analyzed, and the analysis result is transmitted to the fault determination device 5. Thereafter, a failure diagnosis program for acquiring more detailed failure judgment data is transmitted from the failure judgment device 5 to the predetermined home electric appliances 31-1 to 31-n via the failure diagnosis communication device 32,
Let it run.

In this way, a predetermined failure diagnosis program is transferred from the failure judgment device 5 installed in the center S and executed by the home electric appliances 31-1 to 31-n in which the failure has occurred. Can be transferred to the center S for analysis.

Therefore, the person in charge of repairing the broken home electric appliance can grasp the state of the broken home electric appliance and specify the failed portion while staying at the center S.

Further, by further transferring and executing the failure diagnosis program according to the analysis result of the failure judgment data, it is possible to collect hierarchical information.
It is possible to easily narrow down the failure location.

Further, since the failure location can be known in advance by analyzing the failure determination data, it is possible to arrange necessary parts in advance and schedule a maintenance staff to quickly perform repair work. it can.

Furthermore, since the failure diagnosis program is collectively managed by the failure determination device 5 of the center S, even if the failure diagnosis program is modified, maintenance can be easily performed.

In the above embodiment, when the home electric appliances 31-1 to 31-n have failed, communication with the center S is performed to identify the failed part.
For example, by transferring a program for checking the operation of the home electric appliances 31-1 to 31-n every week, the home electric appliances 31
-1 to 31-n, the result may be analyzed, and the maintenance may be performed periodically.

[0045]

As described above, according to the electronic device of claim 1 and the failure cause analysis method of claim 5, the failure diagnosis program for analyzing the cause of failure is received,
By executing the failure diagnosis program, the failure judgment data for identifying the cause of the failure is generated, and the generated failure judgment data is output to the communication line. It is possible to ascertain the status of the equipment that failed and identify the failure location.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of a failure cause analysis system to which an electronic device of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a processing operation of the failure cause analysis system of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of another failure cause analysis system to which the electronic device of the invention is applied.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 video camera, 2 personal computer,
3 TV receiver, 4 refrigerator, 5 failure determination device,
6 home buses, 7 telephone lines, 11 lenses, 1
2 adjustment circuit, 13 CCD camera, 14 microcomputer, 15 signal processing circuit, 16 output circuit, 17 transmission / reception circuit, 21 CRT, 22 failure point determination circuit, 23 transmission / reception circuit, 31-1 to 31-n home electric appliances, 32 failure diagnosis Communication device, 4
1 microcomputer, 42 processing circuit, 43
Signal processing circuit, 44 input / output circuit, 51 microcomputer, 52 signal processing circuit, 53 input / output circuit, 54 transmission / reception circuit

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A detection unit for detecting a failure, and when the detection unit detects the failure, the generation of the failure is automatically notified to the outside through a predetermined wired or wireless communication line. And a receiving unit that receives a failure diagnosis program for analyzing the cause of failure, a generation unit that executes the failure diagnosis program to generate failure determination data for specifying the cause of failure, and An electronic device comprising: an output unit that outputs the failure determination data generated by the generation unit to the communication line. 2. The second generation means for generating failure analysis data representing a rough failure state in response to the detection of the failure by the detection means, further comprising: Electronics. 3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the notification unit notifies the occurrence of the failure to the outside by transmitting the failure analysis data via the communication line. 4. The detecting means detects a failure of a predetermined device directly connected via a predetermined transmission medium, and the generating means executes the failure diagnosis program on the device. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the failure determination data is generated. 5. A step of detecting a failure; a step of automatically reporting the occurrence of the failure to the outside through a predetermined wired or wireless communication line when the failure is detected; A step of receiving a failure diagnosis program for analyzing, a step of generating failure judgment data for specifying a failure cause by executing the failure diagnosis program, and a step of generating the failure judgment data by the communication. And a step of outputting to a line.