JP2001183759A - Method and system for processor remote management - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and a system for processor remote management which remotely manage the state of a processor, which processes a processing object to output the result, on the basis of an operation conditions of the processor or the like and gives functions or services with values added to the processor. SOLUTION: Operation information where operation contents of the processor which have been performed during a certain period from the start to the end of operation of the processor or during a certain number of times of processing is written is recorded, and this recorded operation information is collected to generate an operation log, and the generated operation log is transmitted to a remote management device connected to the processor by a communication line, and the remote management device remotely manages the state of the processor on the basis of this transmitted operation log.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a remote management method and a remote management system for remotely managing an operation state of a processing apparatus for performing processing on an object to be processed and outputting the processed image, and more particularly to an input image obtained by obtaining image data from a recording medium. The present invention belongs to the technical field of a remote management method and a remote management system of an image output apparatus that obtains output image data by performing image processing as data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in an image output apparatus for reproducing an image photographed on a film, a printing apparatus using digital exposure, that is, input image data is obtained by photoelectrically reading an image recorded on the film. Thereafter, various image processing is performed to obtain processed image data, and the photosensitive material is scanned and exposed with recording light modulated according to the processed image data to record an image (latent image), and subjected to development processing to print (photograph) ), A digital photo printer has been put to practical use.

In a digital photo printer, a film is photoelectrically read, color density is corrected by signal processing, and exposure conditions are determined. Therefore, it is not necessary for the operator to determine the exposure conditions and adjust the filters and the like at the time of exposure.
Also, since the exposure time is constant according to the image size,
Efficient work can be performed. Further, compared to the conventional print by direct exposure, a print reproducing a higher quality image in terms of resolution, color / density reproducibility and the like can be output.

[0004] Such a digital photo printer basically includes a scanner (image input unit), an image processing unit, and an image recording device (print output unit). The scanner obtains projection light carrying the captured image by inputting the reading light to the film, forms the projection light on an image sensor such as a CCD sensor, and photoelectrically converts the projection light into an image. The image is read and sent to an image processing device as film image data (image data signal).

An image processing apparatus receives image data sent from a scanner, performs predetermined image processing, and sends the image data to a printer output unit as image data (exposure conditions) for recording. The printer output unit receives the image data output from the image processing apparatus, and modulates the light beam according to the image data sent from the image processing apparatus, for example, if the apparatus uses light beam scanning exposure. By deflecting in the scanning direction and transporting the photosensitive material (printing paper) in the sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction, the photosensitive material is scanned and exposed (printed) by a light beam to form a latent image. And outputs a reproduced image of the image photographed on the film.

Incidentally, such a digital photo printer includes, for example, a light source of a scanner, a cutter of a print output unit for cutting a photosensitive material to a predetermined length, and a transport motor of a print output unit for scanning and transporting the photosensitive material. Due to various components whose performance deteriorates with the number of operations and operation time, and consumables such as photosensitive materials for the printer output unit and developing solutions and fixing solutions used for development processing, expiration date management of components and consumables It is desirable to make sure.
Further, in order to reduce the output of defective images and perform efficient print output processing, it is desirable to thoroughly manage the expiration of component parts and consumables.

[0007]

However, such time limit management is not sufficient at present, and the management method is not unified. In many cases, the life of component parts or the like is not improved until a defective image is output. In many cases, the user notices breakage or finds out that consumables are gone. In such a case, the operator of the digital photo printer informs the service department by telephone or the like of the situation of damage or loss of consumables, receives an instruction of appropriate treatment from the service department, and in some cases, travels by a service person. They may be repaired or repaired.
In some cases, the cause is accurately pointed out without a service person traveling on a business trip, and the operator himself may replace consumables and various components. However, the time and labor required for such repairs, repairs, and replacements are a large time and economic loss for both the user as an operator and the service department of the image output apparatus, and it can be reduced at all. desired.

Under such circumstances, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 09-1074
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 30-301 proposes an operation analysis device that determines the cause of the operation status of the device based on history information of the input operation of the device. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-95329 discloses a PHS communication unit built in an automatic photographing device Management systems that remotely control management information such as adjustment of printing conditions and sales, etc., have been proposed.However, these systems can sufficiently predict the life and damage of components of an image output device and loss of consumables. Therefore, appropriate time limit management cannot be performed.

In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-102303, when an abnormality is detected in a remote device connected to the central monitoring apparatus via a network, the abnormality information of the device is sent to the central processing unit by e-mail, An electronic mail-linked diagnostic processing system that diagnoses on the device side using a diagnostic program that is appropriately selected and sent from the central processing unit based on abnormal information and sends the result to the central processing unit using electronic mail is proposed. Have been. However, in this system, the abnormality is detected only after the abnormality is detected, and the cause of the abnormality is examined, so that prevention or management for the occurrence of the abnormality cannot be performed.

[0010] The deadline management for such an abnormal occurrence is as follows.
Not only the image output device but also a general processing device that needs to always consider the life of the component parts and the usage of the consumables has the same problem.

[0011] Further, not only can the time limit of the photo printer be sufficiently managed to efficiently output high-quality prints, but also print service providers and the like can proactively and efficiently provide value-added services to customers who order prints. There is a demand for a photo printer having a value-added function or service so that the printer can be performed in an efficient manner.

Therefore, the present invention solves the above problems,
Further, in view of the above situation, in a processing apparatus that performs processing on an object to be processed and outputs the processed state, the state of the processing apparatus is remotely managed based on the operation state of the processing apparatus and the like. It is an object of the present invention to provide a remote management method and a remote management system for a processing device that can provide a service.

[0013]

In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention is a method for remotely managing a processing apparatus for performing processing on an object to be processed and outputting the processed processing object. Record operation information describing the operation of the processing device performed during a certain period or a certain number of times from the start to the end of the processing device, create an operation log that summarizes the recorded operation information, and create A remote management device connected to the processing device via a communication line, and based on the transmitted operation log, the remote management device remotely manages a state of the processing device based on the transmitted operation log. Is provided.

Here, during a certain period of time from the start to the end of the operation of the processing device or during a certain number of processes, an error log in which error occurrence information recorded in the processing device is recorded is transmitted together with the operation log. Preferably
The creation of the operation log and the transmission to the remote management device are preferably performed at the end of the operation of the processing device or by an instruction from an operator, and the operation information to be written is the operation information of the processing device. It is preferable that the information is operation information during the entire period from the start to the end of operation. Further, it is preferable that the operation log or the error log is converted into binary data and transmitted by e-mail.

[0015] Preferably, the operation log recording the operation information includes the number of times, time, or amount of use of the components or consumables of the processing apparatus. It is preferable to manage the performance of the component or the remaining amount of the consumable based on the total number of times or time or amount of use of the component or the consumable included in the log. Here, it is preferable that the remote management device transmits notification information to the processing device as needed, and when the notification information is software upgrade setting information included in the processing device, Preferably, the settings of the processing device are automatically updated.

Further, when the error log and the operation log are transferred from the processing device to the remote management device, the remote management device analyzes an error occurrence factor based on the error log and the operation log. Preferably, the analysis result or the error countermeasure instruction content is transmitted as the notification information. Further, the remote management device, after confirming that the processing device is not in operation of the predetermined process,
The remote operation of the processing device may be performed, and the operation of the processing device may be checked to perform a remote diagnosis. At this time, it is preferable that the remote management device transmits the date and time when the remote diagnosis of the processing device is performed as notification information in advance.

The processing device is an image output device that obtains image data from an image recording medium to obtain input image data, performs predetermined image processing on the input image data, and outputs output image data or an output image. preferable. At this time, the image recording medium is a film on which an image is captured or a digital image recording medium on which image data is recorded, and the number of times of processing from the film processed by the image output device or the digital image recording medium. The number of processing times is identified and tabulated for each film type or digital image recording medium type, and the number of output images or the number of image data of output image data is calculated for each image size of output image or data size of output image data. It is preferable that the processing content of the image output device is managed by being counted. Further, it is preferable that the number of times of the image processing is counted for each processing content of the image processing, and information on the number of times of the processing is included in the operation log. Further, it is preferable that the remote management device obtains a usage fee from the number of times of the processing and charging information of the processing for each image.

Preferably, the image processing apparatus has a registered template image, and the image processing includes a synthesizing process of synthesizing the template image with an image of the input image data. The image data is preferably transmitted from the remote management device via a communication line.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a remote management device having at least one processing device for performing processing on an object to be processed and outputting the processed data, and a remote management device connected to the processing device via a communication line. A remote management system for a processing device that remotely manages the processing device, wherein the processing device has an input unit that inputs a processing target, a processing unit that performs a predetermined process on the processing target, and a processing unit that is processed by the processing unit. An output unit for outputting a result,
An information recording unit that records and retains operation information describing the operation of the processing device performed during a certain period of time or a certain number of times from the start of operation to the end of operation of the processing device; Control / connection means for creating an operation log from the operation information and connecting to and transmitting the remote management device via a communication line, wherein the remote management device is connected to the processing device via a communication line. A remote management system for a processing device, comprising: a connection unit; and a remote management unit that remotely manages an operation state of the processing device by using the log transferred from the control / connection unit. is there.

Here, the information recording unit records and retains error occurrence information generated during a certain period from the start of operation of the processing apparatus to the end of the operation or during a certain number of processings. It is preferable to create an error log from the error occurrence information recorded in the information recording unit and transmit the error log together with the operation log to the remote management device. Is preferably transmitted at the end of the operation of the processing device or by an instruction from an operator. Further, it is preferable that the processing device is an image output device that obtains image data from an image recording medium to obtain input image data, performs predetermined image processing on the input image data, and outputs output image data or an output image. . When an error log recording error occurrence information and an operation log recording operation information are transferred from the processing device to the remote management device, the remote management unit determines an error occurrence factor based on the error log and the operation log. It is preferable that the analysis result and the error countermeasure instruction are transferred to the processing device. Further, the remote management means may perform a remote diagnosis by performing a remote operation of the processing device and confirming an operation of the processing device.

[0021]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a remote management system for a processing apparatus according to the present invention for implementing a remote management method for a processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail based on a preferred embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram schematically showing a remote management system 2 which is an example of a remote management system for a processing apparatus according to the present invention. The remote management system 2 is connected to the processing devices 4, 4 ′ and 4 ″ to be remotely managed and the processing devices 4, 4 ′ and 4 ″ by a communication line to transmit various information and various instructions. And a remote management device 6 capable of receiving.

The processing unit 4 includes an input unit 4A for inputting and acquiring an object to be processed by the processing unit 4, a processing unit 4B for performing a predetermined process, and an output unit 4C for outputting the processed object. And controls each processing performed by the input unit 4A, the processing unit 4B, and the output unit 4C, and performs the processing device 4 performed during the entire period from the start to the end of the operation of the processing device 4.
An information recording unit 4D for recording operation information describing the operation details of the device and error occurrence information describing an error occurrence state occurring in the processing device 4, and at the end of the operation of the processing device 4 or by an instruction of the operator. A control / connection means 4E for calling out the operation information and error occurrence information recorded in the information recording unit 4D, creating an operation log and an error log, and transmitting the created operation log and error log to the remote management device 6.

Here, the operation information is the operation information during the entire period from the start of operation to the end of operation of the processing device 4, but is the operation information within a certain period of time, such as the past several hours, or the operation during a certain number of processes. It may be information. Operation logs and error logs are converted into a predetermined binary format,
It may be sent automatically by e-mail. This is because the data amount of the electronic mail can be compressed and transferred at a high speed by converting the data into a binary format.

In this embodiment, an operation log and an error log are created from both the operation information and the error occurrence information and transmitted to the remote management device 6. However, the present invention is not limited to this. At least one of the error occurrence information may be recorded and a corresponding operation log or error log may be created and transmitted. The configuration of the processing devices 4 ′ and 4 ″ is the same as the configuration of the processing device 4, and a description thereof will be omitted.

The remote management device 6 controls the entire remote management device 6.
Control and processing devices 4, 4 ' , 4 '' etc.
A control / connection unit 6A connected so as to be able to transmit and receive via a line,
Operations recorded in transferred operation logs and error logs
Remote management based on information and error occurrence information, necessary
And remote management means 6B for performing remote diagnosis according to

The control / connection means 6A includes a computer for controlling the entire remote management device 6 and a wide area network (WA).
N: Wide Area Network) and Area Network (LA)
Means for connecting to various networks such as N: Local Area Network, for example, an Ethernet card for connecting to a LAN, a modem or a router for connecting to a WAN, and software for connecting to a network. And receives the transferred operation log and error log, sends notification information to the processing devices 4, 4 ′, 4 ″ as necessary, and automatically operates the processing device 4 for remote diagnosis. Send instructions. The remote management unit 6B, based on the transferred operation log and error log, processes the processing devices 4, 4 ',
4 '' and the like are individually managed remotely by software processing that performs functions by executing a program on a computer that controls the entire remote management device 6. Of course, a configuration in which the function is achieved by hardware may be adopted.

In order to describe the remote management system 2 more specifically, a case where the image output device 10 shown in FIG. An image output device 10 includes a scanner 12 that is a reading device that photoelectrically reads an image captured on a film F, and a scanner 1.
An image processing unit 1 that performs predetermined image processing on the input image data of the film F read in 2 to obtain processed image data
4, a control / connection unit 18 for performing management, control, operation, communication, and the like of the entire photo printer 10, and scanning exposure of the photosensitive material with a light beam modulated according to image data output from the image processing unit 14, A printer 16 that performs development processing and prints output, operation information describing operation states of the scanner 12, the image processing unit 14, the printer 16, the control / connection unit 18, the scanner 12, the image processing unit 14, the printer 16, the control An information recording unit 19 that records and retains error occurrence information describing an error occurrence situation in the connection unit 18; Furthermore, instead of film F, a floppy disk or Zip
And a read / write drive 17 for reading image data recorded on a digital image recording medium such as a smart media or the like as input image data, and writing the image data as output image data to the digital image recording medium as needed.

The scanner 12 is an image reading device that photoelectrically reads an image photographed on the film F.
0, a variable aperture 22, and three color filters R, G, and B for separating an image captured on the film F into three primary colors of R (red), G (green), and B (blue). A color filter plate 24 that can rotate and apply an arbitrary color filter to the optical path of the reading light; a diffusion box 26 for making the reading light incident on the film F uniform in the surface direction of the film F;
A carrier 27 for transporting each frame of the film F to a predetermined reading position, an imaging lens unit 28 for appropriately forming an image of the reading light, and an image taken on the film F
CC that is an area sensor that reads each sheet (one frame at a time)
It includes a D sensor 30, an amplifier (amplifier) 32, and an A / D converter.

In the scanner 12, the read light emitted from the light source 20, the light amount is adjusted by the aperture value set by the variable aperture 22, the color is adjusted by passing through the color filter plate 24, and the read light diffused by the diffusion box 26 is diffused. By entering and transmitting the film F, projection light carrying an image captured on the film F is obtained. The projection light of the film F is imaged on the light receiving surface of the CCD sensor 30 by the imaging lens unit 28, and the amount of light received during the set accumulation time is photoelectrically read by the CCD sensor 30. The imaging lens unit 28 is, for example, a combination of a known zoom lens and a focus adjustment lens, and performs magnification and focus adjustment according to the size and form of the film F (such as film or slide). Also, the CCD sensor 30
For example, a line CCD sensor in which light receiving elements extend one-dimensionally in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the film F may be used. An output signal from the CCD sensor 30 is amplified by an amplifier 32, A / D converted by an A / D converter 34, converted into an image signal, and sent to the image processing unit 14.

In such a scanner 12, the light source type of the light source 20, the light emission time, the current value at the time of light emission, the drive time of the motor for scanning and transporting the film F, and the like are written in the information recording unit 19 as operation information. It is.

The image processing unit 14 converts the obtained image signal into l
LUT (Look-Up Table) 36 that performs og conversion to input image data, data correction unit 38, frame memory 39 that records and holds image data, and data processing unit 4
0 and a template image storage unit 42.

The data correction section 38 adds D to the input image data.
This section performs predetermined processing such as C offset correction, dark time correction, and shading correction, and sends the result to the frame memory 39. The frame memory 39 is a memory for storing image data read by the scanner 12, and the image data is sequentially sent to and stored in the frame memory 39.

The data processing section 40 is a section composed of a combination of a CPU, a memory, various kinds of image processing software, a dedicated image processing circuit, and the like. Histogram creation, calculation of image feature amount, etc. are performed, various image processing conditions are set and confirmed through an operator's test. Based on the determined image processing conditions, color / density correction and intermediate gradation are determined. Performs predetermined image processing such as compression / expansion of the retained dynamic range (giving a dodging effect by image processing), electronic scaling processing (enlargement / reduction of image), sharpening processing (sharpness), and instructions from an operator. , One of the tape rate images recorded in the template image storage unit 42 is selected, and the image data of the template image is stored in the image data. Obtaining processed image data by performing synthesizing processing for forming.

The processing contents of the image processing unit 14 are written in the information recording unit 19 as operation information. For example, information such as whether color / density correction is performed, whether dynamic range compression / expansion processing that retains intermediate gradations is performed, output image size by electronic scaling processing, and whether a template image is used for synthesis processing, Information such as the type of the used tape rate image is recorded as operation information.

As shown in FIG. 3, the printer 16 includes a transport section 52, a driver 56, an exposure section 58, and a development section 60. The transport unit 52 includes a cutter 53 that cuts the photosensitive material A drawn by a transport roller from the state wound into a roll and formed into a magazine at a predetermined length,
A back-printing printer 54 that prints the frame number of the film F, the date of processing, and the like on the back surface of the image recording surface, and is cut to a predetermined length, and the back-printed cut sheet-shaped photosensitive material A
Is transported to the exposure unit 58.

The exposure section 58 scans and exposes the photosensitive material A by light beam scanning to record an image on the photosensitive material A.
A known light beam scanning device, comprising a light source 64R that emits a light beam corresponding to exposure of the R photosensitive layer of the photosensitive material A, a light source 64G corresponding to G exposure, and a light source 64B corresponding to B exposure. AOMs 62R, 62G and 62B for modulating the light source of each light beam, the light beam emitted from each light source according to a recorded image, a polygon mirror 66 as an optical deflector, an fθ lens 68, and a sub-scanning conveyance of the photosensitive material A Having means.

Each light beam emitted from each light source 64 and traveling at a different angle from each other is
It is incident on M62. To each AOM 62, R, G, and B drive signals corresponding to a recording image, that is, image data supplied from the control device 14, are transferred from the driver 56, and the incident light beam is modulated according to the recording image. I do.

Each light beam modulated by the AOM 62 is incident on substantially the same point of the polygon mirror 66, reflected, deflected in the main scanning direction (the direction of the arrow x in the drawing), and then by the fθ lens 68 at a predetermined scanning position. It is adjusted so as to form an image with a predetermined beam shape at z, and enters the photosensitive material A.

The photosensitive material A is transported by a pair of conveying rollers 70a and 70a constituting a sub-scanning means arranged with the scanning position z interposed therebetween.
By b, the sheet is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction (the direction of the arrow y in the drawing) orthogonal to the main scanning direction while being held at the scanning position z. Since the light beam is deflected in the main scanning direction, the entire surface of the photosensitive material A conveyed in the sub-scanning direction is two-dimensionally scanned and exposed by the light beam, and the image transferred from the controller 14 to the photosensitive material A is transferred to the photosensitive material A. An image (latent image) of the data is recorded.

The exposed photosensitive material A is then carried into the developing section 60 by the pair of conveying rollers 72, where it is subjected to a developing process to be a print P. Here, for example, if the photosensitive material A is a silver salt photosensitive material, the developing unit 60 is
4. Bleaching / fixing tank 76, washing tanks 78a, 78b, 78c and 78d, drying section, etc., and photosensitive material A is subjected to predetermined processing in each processing tank and dried.
Output as print P.

Operation information at the time of such print output processing, for example, the number of cutting operations of the cutter 53, the number of back printing of the back printing printer 54, the operation time of the drive roller driving motor, the number of processing of the developing solution and the fixing solution, etc. Operation information such as the usage amount of the photosensitive material A and the like is written in the information recording unit 19.

The read / write drive 17 reads image data recorded on a digital image recording medium such as a floppy disk, MO, Zip, or smart media, performs predetermined processing in the image processing unit 14, A drive device for printing out and writing the processed image data after image processing on the digital image recording medium to the digital image recording medium.

The control / connection unit 18 controls and manages the entire image output device 10, inputs various operations and conditions, and communicates with the customer via the remote diagnostic device 4 described later and various networks such as the Internet. This is the part to be connected.
The control / management unit 18 includes a CPU that controls the operation of the entire image output device 10 and various instructions and management, and the like.
0, and a memory (not shown) for storing data necessary for operating the O.O.
And a keyboard 48 for inputting various instructions such as various conditions and processing instructions (settings), print size and number of prints, color / density correction, and the like. A mouse 50, a display 52 for displaying an image read by the scanner 12, a setting / registration screen for various conditions and specifications such as various operation instructions, a notification information received from the remote management device 6, and a remote management device 6 and a network connection unit 46 as communication means for connecting via a communication line.

Each part of the control / connection unit 18, and further the scanner 12 and the printer 16 are connected to each part via a CPU (CPU bus) of the control unit 44 to transfer image data and various control signals. Is done.

The network connection unit 46 is, for example, a wide area network (WAN: Wide Area Network) or a local area network (L
AN: Local Area Network (AN), for connecting to various networks.
Ethernet card for connecting to the
And a modem for connecting to a WAN via a communication line,
Software for connecting to a network. The network connection unit 46 is connected to the remote diagnostic apparatus 2 via a communication line, and also to a customer who requests a print output service or the like. Therefore, it is possible to exchange image data from a customer without passing through a digital image recording medium.

In the control unit 44, the type of the film when the image is read by the scanner 12, the type of the digital image recording medium when the image is read from the read / write drive 17, and the source of the image data are determined via the network connection unit 46. Information on the source of the image data indicating that the network is a connected network, as well as output information such as the size of the print output image and the data size of the output image data, are recorded in the information recording unit 19 as operation information.

The remote management system 2 is configured as described above. Next, a remote management method for a processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described based on a remote management system 2 for remotely managing the image output apparatus 10.

In the scanner 12, the read light emitted from the light source 20, the light amount is adjusted according to the aperture value set by the variable aperture 22, the color is adjusted through the color filter plate 24, and the read light diffused by the diffusion box 26 By entering the F and transmitting the light, projection light carrying an image photographed on the film F is obtained. The projection light of the film F is imaged on the light receiving surface of the CCD sensor 30 by the imaging lens unit 28, and the amount of light received during the set accumulation time is C
It is read photoelectrically by the CD sensor 30. The imaging lens unit 28 is, for example, a combination of a known zoom lens and a focus adjustment lens, and performs magnification and focus adjustment according to the size and form of the film F (such as film or slide). An output signal from the CCD sensor 30 is amplified by an amplifier 32 and A / D converted by an A / D converter 34.
After being converted and converted into an image signal, it is sent to the image processing unit 14.

The image signal sent to the image processing unit 14 is LU
At T36, the data is log-converted into image data, and predetermined processing such as DC offset correction, dark time correction, shading correction is performed by the data correction unit 38, and the frame memory 39
Sent to After being sent to and stored in the frame memory 39, the data processing unit 42 performs color / density correction and compression / expansion of a dynamic range holding an intermediate gradation (image processing) under processing conditions automatically set or instructed by an operator. By applying a dodging effect), electronic scaling (enlargement / reduction of image), sharpening (sharpness)
And the like, and one of the tape rate images recorded in the template image storage unit 42 is selected in accordance with an instruction from the operator, and a synthesizing process for synthesizing the template image is performed.

In the printer 16, the light beams emitted from each light source 64 are modulated by each AOM 62 driven based on the image data processed by the image processing section 14, and are cut and conveyed in the form of a cut sheet of photosensitive material. The photosensitive surface of A is exposed to form a latent image. Then, photosensitive material A
Are a color developing tank 74, a bleach-fixing tank 76, a washing tank 78a,
By passing through the drying sections 78b, 78c and 78d, predetermined processing is performed in each processing tank, and a print P is output. Note that in the image reading of the present embodiment, fine scanning for densely reading images to obtain image data is performed without performing prescanning for coarsely scanning images in advance to determine image processing conditions. Alternatively, after performing image reading by pre-scanning in advance and determining image processing conditions, fine scanning for densely reading images may be performed.

In such a series of processing, for example,
In the image reading by the scanner 12, the light source type of the light source 20, the light emission time, the current value at the time of light emission, and the like are used in the processing of the image processing unit 14. In the image output of the printer 16, the number of operations of the cutter 53, the number of times of printing and printing, the operation time of the drive motor which is the driving source of the transport roller for transporting the photosensitive material A, the usage amount of the photosensitive material A, etc. Further, output information such as information on the source of the image data, the type of the image size of the print output image, and the data size of the output image data is recorded in the information recording unit 19 as operation information. If an error occurs during such a series of processes, for example, the current value of the light source 20 has fallen below an allowable limit, or the photosensitive material A is not cut by the cutter 53, and is not cut by another cutter (not shown). When an error that does not stop the processing such as disconnection occurs, the date and time of occurrence of the error and the location of the error are written to the information recording unit 19 as error occurrence information.

In the above example, the image data is obtained from the film F. The image data is obtained from the digital image recording medium via the read / write drive 17, and the image data is obtained from the network via the network connection unit 46. When obtaining data, similar operation information and error occurrence information are written in the information recording unit 19.

When all the processes in the image output apparatus 10 are completed and the operator instructs the operation of the image output apparatus 10, the image output apparatus 1 is operated before the operation is completed.
0 is started, various set values and components of the image output device 10 are returned to the initial state, and the operation information and error occurrence information recorded in the information recording unit 19 from the start of operation of the image processing device 10. Is called from the information recording unit 19, and in the control unit 44, various types of operation information written in the operation log are totaled to obtain accumulated operation information, and an operation log is created together with the operation information. Alternatively, an operation log including only the accumulated operation information is created. Further, the calculation of the accumulated operation information is not limited to the case where the operation is completed, and may be performed at an arbitrary time according to an instruction of the operator. The operation information to be tabulated is not limited to the operation information written from the start of the operation, and may be the operation information written during a predetermined period or during a predetermined number of processes.
Also, error occurrence information is collected into one and an error log is created. If the error occurrence information is not recorded in the information recording unit 19, no error log is created and is not transmitted to the remote management device 6.

As the cumulative operation information obtained by totaling the operation information, for example, the cumulative light emission time obtained from the number of light emission of the light source 20 and the light emission time, the cumulative number of operation obtained by totaling the operation number of the cutter 53, Also, the cumulative operation time obtained by summing the operation time of the transport drive motor of the photosensitive material A in the printer 16 or the cumulative usage amount of the roll-shaped photosensitive material A obtained by summing the usage amount of the roll-shaped photosensitive material A,
Further, the number of times of cumulative processing of the developing solution and the fixing solution may be mentioned.

Further, the number of times of processing of the film F or the number of times of processing of the digital image recording medium processed by the image output device 10 is identified and totalized for each film type or each type of digital image recording medium. Number of times,
The cumulative output processing count in which the number of print output images or the number of output image data processed for each image size of the output image or the data size of the output image data is also obtained as the cumulative operation information. Further, the number of times of image synthesis processing for obtaining an output image and output image data by synthesizing a template image in the image processing unit 14 is totaled for each template image, and the type of processing of the data correction unit 38 and the data processing unit 40 The information on the number of times of image processing obtained by totaling the number of times of processing for each type of image processing is also obtained as the cumulative operation information. Such accumulated operation processing information does not necessarily need to be performed in the image output device 10, and all the operation information and error occurrence information recorded in the information recording unit 19 are transferred to the remote management device 6, and the remote management This may be performed in a remote management program executed on the device 6.

The operation log and the error log are automatically converted into a binary format and transferred to the remote management device 6 via the network connection unit 46. In the remote management device 6, the operation log and the error log are converted from the binary format and returned, sent to the remote management unit 6B via the control / connection unit 6A, and the remote management program of the remote management unit 6B is executed.

In the remote management program, the remote management device 1
0 is called from the memory (not shown), and the past total cumulative operation information regarding the number of operations and the operation time of each component of the image processing apparatus 10 is called. Is added, and new total cumulative operation information is obtained.
The performance degradation and the life of the component are determined by comparing with the limit operation count, the limit operation time, and the like, which define the operation guarantee limit of each component.

For example, the light emission time of the light source 20, the number of operations of the cutter 53, and the operation time of the transport roller drive motor of the printer 16 are checked, and the limit operation times and the limit operation times are exceeded. Therefore, it can be determined that the time for replacement of the component is near, or that the component has a sufficient number of operations and operation time, and the performance degradation of the component can be predicted, and damage to the component can be prevented. Further, the remaining amount is determined from the total accumulated use amount of the consumables, for example, the roll-shaped photosensitive material A, and the time for replacing the developer and the fixing solution is also determined. Based on such a judgment result, if necessary, instructions for repair and replacement of the component parts, replacement time, supply instruction of consumables, supply time, etc. are controlled and controlled.
It is created as notification information to the image output device 10 in the connection means 6A.

Also, based on the total accumulated operation information relating to the source information and the output information of the read image recorded in the transferred operation log, an instruction for encouraging the cleaning of each component and the visual inspection is included in the notification information. If the owner of the image output apparatus 10 is a service provider who receives an order for print output from the film F, the market trend of the order form of the print service can be investigated, and the result of the investigation is included in the notification information. The inclusion can provide useful information to the service provider.

Further, the number of image synthesis processes of the template image by the image processing unit 14 is totaled for each template image. Based on the total result, the number of tape rate image synthesis processes and the accounting information of the tape rate image synthesis process are calculated. , The usage fee of the template image is calculated, and the image processing apparatus 10
A billing slip to the holder, user, or the like is created, and this billing slip can be used as notification information to the image output apparatus 10. As the template image, various images are transmitted from the remote management device 6 according to the year and season. For example, at the end of the year, the image can be transferred to the image output device 10 as a template image of a calendar for the next year and a template image for a New Year's card. it can. Such a billing process is not limited to the template image combining process, but may be applied to a predetermined image process or the like. The remote diagnosis program includes the image output device 10
The new total cumulative operation information obtained from the cumulative operation information transferred from the remote management device 10 is recorded in the memory of the remote management device 10.

Further, the remote management program checks the error occurrence information from the transferred error log, and checks the date and time of error occurrence and the location where the error occurred, and the number of operations and operations of each component or consumable obtained from the transferred operation log. From the total accumulated operation information on the time, it is possible to comprehensively determine the damage of the component parts, the loss of the consumables, and the like. For example, if it is determined from the error log that an error has occurred multiple times with the cutter 53,
The number of times of operation of the cutter 53 is checked, and even if the number of times of operation of the cutter 53 accumulated from the past does not exceed the limit number of times of operation, performance degradation due to wear of the cutting edge of the cutter 53 is predicted, and the image output device 10 informs the image output device 10 accordingly. An instruction to replace the cutter 53 can be transmitted as notification information.

In this case, in order to further clearly identify the cause of the error, the image output apparatus 10 may be operated by remote control, and a remote diagnosis may be performed by confirming the operation status. Information on the date and time of such remote diagnosis may be included in the notification information and notified to the operator of the image output apparatus 10. The remote diagnosis is executed after confirming that normal processing for outputting an image is not performed. The reason that the remote diagnosis is started after confirming that the normal image output processing is not performed is to prevent the occurrence of a normal processing error or a remote diagnosis error due to a malfunction of the image output apparatus 10. is there.

In the remote diagnosis, for example, the light source 20 is automatically illuminated by remote control, the transport roller of the transport section 52 of the printer 16 is operated by remote control, and the photosensitive material A is transported. Cut off the
Since the operation of each component is checked, a component that emits light or moves, for example, the transport unit 5 of the scanner 12 or the printer 16 is used.
2 and the transport unit 56 are locked so that a safety door provided at an opening or the like of the component is automatically closed so that the face or limb of the operator or the like does not enter the inside of the component during the remote diagnosis. . The remote diagnosis is performed after confirming that the safety door of the component to be diagnosed is locked, and the safety door is opened after the diagnosis. Components including movable parts such as the transport unit 52 may be excluded from the target of the remote diagnosis from the viewpoint of safety. After confirming the operation of each component by remote diagnosis and grasping the state of each component, the diagnosis result can be transmitted to the image output device 10 as notification information together with a countermeasure instruction.

The notification information transmitted to the image output device 10 by such remote management is identified as new information from the received information when the next operation of the image output device 10 is started, and the notification content is displayed on the display 52. Is displayed. At the start of the operation, the image data of the template image distributed to the image processing apparatus 10 is also identified, the fact is displayed on the display 52, and is automatically recorded in the template image storage unit 42.

The remote management device 6 transmits version upgrade information such as basic software for controlling the entire image output apparatus 10 and various kinds of processing software such as image processing software, and setting information such as version upgrade software from the remote management device 6 and outputs the image. When the operation of the apparatus 10 is started, the upgrade information may be displayed on the display 52, and the update for upgrading the software may be automatically performed.

The remote diagnosis method and the remote diagnosis system of the processing apparatus according to the present invention have been described in detail above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various improvements can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Of course, changes may be made.

[0068]

As described above, according to the present invention, according to the present invention, operation information describing the details of the processing of the processing device is created, and a log summarizing this information is transmitted to the remote management device via the communication line. Therefore, the operation state of the processing apparatus can be remotely managed in detail, and time and economic loss for the operator of the processing apparatus and the service department can be reduced. In addition, it is possible to predict the performance degradation or breakage of the components depending on the number of times of use, the time of use, or the amount of use, and it is possible to predict the remaining amount of consumables, and to perform detailed expiration date management. Further, by performing the remote diagnosis, a defective portion of the processing apparatus can be specified, and the processing apparatus can be further managed. Further, since the processing device can receive setting information such as version upgrade of software used for the processing device, it is possible to provide a fine-grained service to an operator of the processing device.

In particular, an image output apparatus having components and consumables whose performance depends on the number of times of operation, the operation time, and the like is more effective in that fine expiration date management can be performed and a defective portion can be identified by remote diagnosis. Further, since various information is provided from the remote management device, the added value of the print output service by the image output device can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a remote management system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a simplified image output device which is an example of a processing device to which a remote management method according to the present invention is applied.

3 is a perspective view schematically showing the printer shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Remote management system 4, 4 ', 4' 'processing device 6 Remote management device 10 Image output device 12 Scanner 14 Image processing unit 16 Printer 17 Read / write drive 18 Control / connection unit 19 Information recording unit 52 Transport unit 58 Exposure Unit 60 Developing unit

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04M 11/00 301 H04M 11/00 301 5K101 H04N 1/00 106 H04N 1/00 106C F-term (Reference) 2H106 BA55 BA95 BH00 5B042 JJ02 KK12 LA26 MC15 MC40 5B048 AA14 CC15 5B076 AC03 EA18 5C062 AA05 AA35 AB03 AB20 AB42 AC04 AC05 AC43 AC56 AE16 AF06 AF13 BA00 BD09 5K101 KK02 KK11 KK12 LL01 PP05 VV03

Claims (24)

[Claims] 1. A remote management method for a processing apparatus for performing processing on an object to be processed and outputting the processed processing, wherein the processing performed during a certain period from the start to the end of the operation of the processing apparatus or during a certain number of times of processing. Recording operation information describing the operation contents of the apparatus, creating an operation log summarizing the recorded operation information, transmitting the created operation log to a remote management apparatus connected to the processing apparatus via a communication line, A remote management method for a processing device, wherein the remote management device remotely manages the status of the processing device based on the transmitted operation log. 2. An error log recorded with error occurrence information generated in the processing device during a certain period from the start to the end of the operation of the processing device or during a certain number of processes is transmitted together with the operation log. The remote management method for a processing device according to claim 1. 3. The remote management of a processing device according to claim 1, wherein the creation of the operation log and the transmission to the remote management device are performed at the end of the operation of the processing device or by an instruction from an operator. Method. 4. The remote management method for a processing device according to claim 1, wherein the operation information to be written is operation information during the entire period from the start of operation to the end of operation of the processing device. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the operation log or the error log is converted into binary data and transmitted by electronic mail. 6. The remote processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation log in which the operation information is recorded includes the number of times, time, or amount of use of a component or consumable of the processing apparatus. Management method. 7. The performance of the component or the consumable according to the total number of times or time or amount of use of the component or the consumable included in the transmitted operation log. 7. The remote management method for a processing device according to claim 6, wherein the remaining amount of the processing device is managed. 8. The remote management method for a processing device according to claim 1, wherein said remote management device transmits notification information to said processing device as needed. 9. The processing device according to claim 1, wherein, when the notification information is version upgrade setting information of software provided in the processing device, the setting of the processing device is automatically updated by the setting information. Remote management method of the processing device. 10. When the error log and the operation log are transferred from the processing device to the remote management device, the remote management device analyzes an error occurrence factor based on the error log and the operation log. 10. The remote management method for a processing device according to claim 8, wherein the analysis result or the error countermeasure instruction content is transmitted as the notification information. 11. The remote management device, after confirming that the processing device is not performing the predetermined process, remotely controls the processing device, confirms operation of the processing device, and performs remote diagnosis. The method for remotely managing a processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the method is performed. 12. The remote management method for a processing device according to claim 11, wherein the remote management device transmits a date and time at which the remote diagnosis of the processing device is performed as notification information in advance. 13. An image output apparatus for obtaining image data from an image recording medium to obtain input image data, performing predetermined image processing on the input image data, and outputting output image data or an output image. A remote management method for a processing apparatus according to claim 1. 14. The image recording medium is a film on which an image is photographed or a digital image recording medium on which image data is recorded, wherein the number of times of processing from the film processed by the image output device or the digital image recording medium is performed. The number of times of processing is counted and identified by film type or digital image recording medium type, and the number of images of output images or the number of image data of output image data is calculated by the image size of output images or the data of output image data. 14. The remote management method for a processing device according to claim 13, wherein the processing content of the image output device is managed by being totaled by size. 15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the number of times of the image processing is counted for each processing content of the image processing, and information of the number of times of processing is created in the operation log. 16. The remote management method for a processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the remote management apparatus obtains a usage fee from the number of times of processing and charging information of the processing for each image. 17. The image processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the image processing device has a registered template image, and the image processing includes a combining process of combining the template image with an image of the input image data.
7. The remote management method for a processing device according to any one of 6. 18. The image data of the template image,
18. The remote management method for a processing device according to claim 17, wherein the method is transmitted from the remote management device via a communication line. 19. Remote management of a processing device which has at least one processing device for processing and outputting a processing target object and which remotely manages the processing device by a remote management device connected to the processing device via a communication line. A processing unit configured to input a processing target; a processing unit configured to perform predetermined processing on the processing target; an output unit configured to output a result processed by the processing unit; An information recording unit that records and retains operation information describing the operation of the processing device performed during a certain period of time or a certain number of times from the start of operation to the end of operation of the processing device; Control / connection means for creating an operation log from the operation information and connecting to and transmitting to the remote management device via a communication line, wherein the remote management device is connected to the processing device via a communication line The remote management system for processing apparatus, characterized in that it comprises a stage, and a remote management means for remotely managing the operational state of the processing device by using the log transferred from the control and connection means. 20. The information recording section records and holds error occurrence information generated during a certain period from the start of operation of the processing apparatus to the end of the operation or during a certain number of processes. 20. The remote management system for a processing device according to claim 19, wherein an error log is created from the error occurrence information recorded in the information recording unit, and transmitted to the remote management device together with the operation log. 21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the transmission of the operation log is performed at the end of the operation of the processing device or by an instruction from an operator, wherein the operation log is created and transmitted to the remote management device. A remote management system for the processing apparatus according to the above. 22. An image output apparatus for obtaining image data from an image recording medium to obtain input image data, performing predetermined image processing on the input image data, and outputting output image data or an output image. A remote management system for a processing device according to claim 19. 23. When an error log in which error occurrence information is recorded and an operation log in which operation information is recorded are transferred from the processing unit to the remote management device, the remote management means stores the error log and the operation log in the remote management device. 23. The remote management system for a processing device according to claim 19, wherein an error occurrence factor is analyzed based on the result, and an analysis result or an error countermeasure instruction is transferred to the processing device. 24. The remote management of a processing device according to claim 19, wherein said remote management means performs a remote diagnosis by performing a remote operation of said processing device and confirming an operation of said processing device. system.